Long Vacation
by angelofvenus-l3
Summary: UPDATED.A QuatreMina.Plz read and review.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer : I don't own GW or SM. Takes place after Endless Waltz. LONG VACATION 

By : Angel of Venus_l3 (angelofvenus_l3@yahoo.com)

** CHAPTER ONE**

Quatre Winner scanned the computer screen for a few minutes and began to type furiously on the keyboard. He paused for awhile to glance at the open folder next to him before turning back to the computer. Sighing, he continued his work, not realizing how late it was. A few stacks of papers laid on his desk, almost blocking his view and a few folders laid scattered on the book shelves which he had hastily flipped through a moment ago. 

It had been almost a year since their last battle and neither the pilots could believe how long that they had been living in a world where weapons were no longer needed. At first it was quite strange for them to live day by day without holding a gun but after quite some time, they got used to it and had became accustom to their basic needs in life as mere teenage boys. 

Now turning eighteen, all of them had full time jobs working at the Preventers Headquarter. Unlike the others, Quatre had to devote most of his time running his father's businesses. He didn't want the Winner companies to be taken over by anyone other than his family members and seeing how he was the only male heir in the family, he decided to monitor the companies himself. He had to make sure everything run smoothly but it was obviously harder than he thought. As if that wasn't enough, he was still playing an important role in the political development of the space colonies. Without realizing it, he had spent all of his time in politics and his companies than at home and had immediately felt the pressure of being the Winner heir. It was just like getting the pilots to get along but this was worst since it involved thousands of workers from different companies in different colonies. 

Suddenly, the phone rang, startling the blonde Arabian. Quatre paused to pick up his cell phone and answered hesitantly, not even looking at the number on the phone. His eyes were still locked on the screen as he struggled to balance the phone on his shoulder. "Hello?" he mumbled, barely audible.

"Yo, Kat!" the voice on the phone greeted. Quatre recognized who it was immediately. 

"Duo, hi," he replied wearily. "What's the matter? You burnt the kitchen again?"

Quatre could hear Duo chuckling on the line. "No, no, nothing like that. We're all watching some horror film Trowa rented from the video store. I'm just calling to ask you when are you coming back. It's already 1.45 in the morning." 

Quatre's eyes widen in surprise. He took a quick glimpse at his wrist watch and tried to hide a groan. Not again, he silently moaned.

He glanced at his computer screen and then at his work papers which seemed to take up most of the space on his desk. Obviously it will take him more than just a night to finish his reports and proposals. 

"Kat? Are you still there?" Duo inquired from the phone line. 

Quatre swallowed a few times and managed a reply, "Yeah, still here." He tried to sound casual and relax, not wanting his friend to worry about his exhausted condition. However, as hard as he tried, he couldn't hide the weariness in his voice. "Listen, I think I'm gonna be here all night...."

"Again?" Duo exclaimed. "But I doubt that you even have any dinner. Do you have that much papers to do?" 

"Yeah, sort of. I better get started on my project proposals now, Duo. Tell the others not to wait up, okay?" 

Duo paused on the other line but finally gave a reply, "Sure, man. Just don't work too hard okay?" 

Too late, Quatre silently added to himself. "Yeah, sure thing, Duo."

"I'll talk to you later, then. Bye." After Quatre hung up, he quickly focused on his report, scribbling furiously on the folder. He continued his work for a few more hours and by the time he was half way done, it was already 5.35 in the morning. He still had a few more work papers to check and project proposals to make. However, he couldn't possibly stay in his office the whole night like last time. His friends had been worried about him and had gave him a few hours of lecture about 'sleeping on the job'. It was actually a pun Duo had made but neither Quatre nor the other pilots thought it was funny. 

Quatre decided to spend a few more minutes before he head back home. He flipped through the folder, sighing in frustration at his workers' mistakes and made a few corrections on them. Suddenly, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. The pain was light at first but soon, it became intense.

"Not again," he muttered as he shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the pain. He tried to focus on his papers but he couldn't get any of the words to make sense. Sighing, he decided to call it a night and gathered his files and slowly made his way out of his office. He just hoped that he would be able to focus on the road when he drove back home. 

As soon as Quatre reached his mansion, he parked his car and fiddled with his house key. It was a miracle he didn't get into any accident, he thought. He was lucky that the road was empty since it was way passed midnight. Normally his chauffeur would have drove him home but today Quatre had insisted he drove on his own. He didn't want to make his driver wait up for him the whole night and it took him a lot of efforts to get rid of his bodyguards. The pain still throbbed in his head and he had to struggle to find the right key to open the door. 

The whole house was dark and he assumed his friends were already asleep. Quietly, he tiptoed to the kitchen and tossed his files on the kitchen table. After pouring himself a glass of water, he hastily grabbed a tiny bottle of aspirin which he had hidden in the cabinet and unscrewed the lid. He took out three pills and gulped it down with water while rubbing his temple.

"You're up early," a voice stated. Quatre choke and sputtered on his drink. When he recovered, he turned to find Wufei frowning at him. He couldn't tell what the Chinese man was thinking but he assumed that he's probably going to make some kind of remark about him not being able to handle the pressures at work. 

Wufei's eyes darted from Quatre's worn out face to the bottle of aspirin. Quatre looked away and ran his fingers through his blonde hair nervously. He was hoping none of his friends found out that he had been downing on aspirin but since Wufei had already seen the bottle, it was useless to deny or hide it. 

"Wufei," he murmured, still not looking at the Chinese man. "I didn't know you were up…" 

"Kat, you need to relax," Wufei intruded as he took a sit next to his tired friend. Quatre finally shifted his eyes to meet the Chinese man's black ones. 

"How many of this pills did you take?" Wufei inquired gently. He took the bottle and studied the label. 

"One." 

Wufei narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Quatre, obviously not believing him. Sighing, Quatre answered wearily, "Three."

"Since when?" he continued. 

Quatre paused but seeing Wufei's piercing eyes, he decided to go with the truth, "Since last month, two or three pills a day for four days a week." Wufei took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He studied his friend's face. 

Quatre's usual bright blue eyes were now dull and had visible dark circles under them. His face looked worn out and exhausted. His wavy blonde hair was disheveled and limp. He had loosen his tie and the two top button on his shirt was left undone. Wufei knew Quatre had been taking his father's businesses seriously and had often came back home looking all tired and worn out but he had never seen Quatre so exhausted before. At least, not lately. Quatre closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, not even bothering to hide the pain on his face. He couldn't, even if he wanted to. Wufei began to worry and immediately realized that Quatre was having more than just his usual-after-work headache. 

"Kat, are you having a migraine?" he asked in concern, which startled Quatre since Wufei had never showed any sign of worry before. Quatre slowly opened his eyes and was about to answer him until he heard footsteps trotting close by and before long, Trowa and Heero entered the kitchen. Like Wufei, both of them were still in their robe. Quatre managed a shaky smile as a greeting and blinked a few time to get a better focus for the pain was beginning to blur his vision. 

"Kat, are you okay?" Trowa asked, concerned written on his face. Quatre nodded his head frantically but his action made his pain even worst.

"I…am…great," he stuttered, closing his eyes again and gritted his teeth. The three pilots exchanged worried glances. Heero grabbed the tiny aspirin bottle and read it. He then glanced at Wufei, as though asking him a question.

"Three," Wufei replied. "Since last month, two or three pills a day for four days a week." 

Trowa shook his head disapprovingly and he took the bottle from Heero to read it. Quatre sighed wearily. 

"Look, I'm just having…..a small headache and you guys…don't have to…"

Heero raised his hand as a sign for Quatre to stop. "Let's just get you back to bed," Heero replied. 

Quatre shook his head slowly and muttered, "Can't….got work…to submit…proposals…directors…." He pointed a shaky finger to the folders on the table but Heero hardly glanced at them or hear him. 

"Quatre, it's Sunday," Wufei stated, sneaking a worried glance at Trowa who returned his gaze. 

"Still…" was all Quatre could say. Heero gently helped Quatre to get up. Quatre made some protesting noises but Heero didn't acknowledge him. 

When they reached his room, Heero led Quatre to his bed. The tired blonde slowly sat on the bed and yawned exhaustedly. 

"Thanks, Heero," he managed with a small smile. 

"Get some sleep," Heero advised, but to Quatre, it sounded more like an order. "I'll call your secretary and tell her that you're not coming for work on Monday morning."

"Heero, I have a lot of work to do…" Quatre protested weakly, still feeling the pain in his head. He could hardly prevent his voice from trembling.

"Look, you'll be gone for only a day, I'm sure your personal assistants and secretaries can handle your job during that short period," Heero replied firmly. "So don't worry. Just get some sleep and relax a little. I'll call a doctor…"

"No," Quatre cried out but then winced in pain. "No doctors.…" 

Heero sighed. "Alright, I won't call a doctor but right now, just get the rest you deserve. If you need anything, call us. We'll just be outside." Quatre wanted to protest but Heero's tone left no room for argument.

Slowly, Quatre laid on the bed and closed his eyes. It seemed as though it had been a while since he felt the soft mattress under his skin and the cool, calm surrounding of his room, instead of the stuffy office and the hard desk which was always surrounded with stacks of papers and folders. Before long, he felt into a heavy, deep slumber. 

"So, you really think a vacation is what he need?" Trowa inquired, helping himself to a chocolate cookie from the large plate of cookies on the coffee table. Duo nodded his head affirmatively.

"Of course," he exclaimed. "Quatre has been cooped up in his 'business' world or to be more specific, his stuffy old office for quite some time now and that's not healthy at all. He needs to get out of his systems once in awhile and relax. I mean, come on, have you seen him work this hard in the war? Of course not. This business thing has finally gone up to his head and look at him now. He's even downing on pills, for crying out loud! The remedy for the poor boy is a nice, long, uninterrupted vacation. Oh, we should send him to one of those cool, exotic islands far away where there's a nice view of the sun, cool, clear, crystalline water and a lot of extremely, hot, gorgeous babes. That way we can all have some fun…"  
The other three pilots rolled their eyes and groaned. "Obviously we will be tagging along on this trip," Wufei muttered, sipping his coffee. 

"Of course!" Duo exclaimed, smiling gleefully at the thought of hot sun, hot sand and hot babes. 

Heero took another cookie and lightly munched on it. "I suppose we could use a vacation, too," he replied softly. "I guess I could get off work for a couple of days… Relena kept telling me to take some time off work and have some fun instead of doing reports and missions."

"Me, too," Wufei muttered. "Sally has been bugging me to take a day off once in awhile to enjoy 'life', whatever she means." 

"It clearly means she needs at least a day off away from you and your justice ramblings," Duo quipped, chuckling. "Now, that's vacation."

Wufei cast Duo a glare but Duo easily shrugged it off. "Trowa? How about you?" he inquired. 

Trowa looked thoughtful. "I guess I can make it if you guys plan everything out for next week. I'm already free by Wednesday until the weekend but I can take a few extra days off. We've been trying to talk our manager into letting us have a few days off from work and it seems to be working. Catherine is already in Bahamas with her boyfriend."

"Great!" Duo exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "Then, it's settle! We'll go next week but don't any of you guys tell Quatre about it, yet. Let's just make it a surprise for him." 

"He'll be surprise alright," Wufei mumbled, taking a short sip of his coffee. "And as a bonus, it'll come together with a heart attack or a stroke." He paused to set the empty mug down on the coffee table and asked, "But the question is…would he allow himself to go on this vacation?" 

Trowa contemplated his thoughts and replied, "Yeah, you're right. He's probably too busy to take even an hour off. How is this plan going to work?"

"Simple," Heero stated with a smirk. "If he refuse to come on his own will, we'll have to force him then. It's very easy to drug him or if you prefer something a little challenging, we can just knock him out with our bare hands. It's not that hard, you know, especially in his present condition." 

Duo, Trowa and Wufei raised their eyebrows as they watched Heero casually sipped his drink.

"Wha…how's that challenging if he's so easy to be knocked out?" Wufei asked with a frown. 

Heero shrugged and replied thoughtfully, "That's why I said A LITTLE challenging."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Princess!! Wait up!!" Andrite yelled as he struggled to catch up with the blonde royalty who was running ahead of him. The girl looked over her shoulder and grinned mischievously as she realized he was catching up with her. Minako giggled and quickened her pace. She run along the hallway, almost knocking over a servant and immediately apologized in the process. Andrite was practically panting now since he has been chasing the princess for the past one hour and a half and he hardly gotten anywhere near her. Minako has been really well-trained, he realized and if she took her training anymore seriously, she would easily defeat him in their weekly weaponry battle, not that she hadn't a couple of times.

"Andrite, why don't you just give up?" she exclaimed, still running through the hall. Her voice shook slightly from the run but he knew Minako still had a lot of energy in her. Andrite groaned as he felt his legs weaken.

"Because….it's my…job…to watch…over you…Get…back here….this…instant…!" he stuttered, gasping for breath. He could hear Minako giggling at him and as much as he love to tackle her to the ground and teach her a lesson, he couldn't and had to stop to catch his breath. 

He watched the princess disappeared from view and slowly shook his head. "Not again," he muttered under his breath. His heart was still pacing and it took a long moment for him to breath regularly. Since they were toddlers, they had been playing chase around the palace garden for several hours but he didn't thought they would continue the 'tradition' even though they were old enough to outgrown that game. She was always running around the palace and causing chaos in the servants' quarters and even several years had passed by, she was still as energetic as usual, though not as playful as she used to be. 

That was because most of her time was spent on helping the development on the colonies and other planets which most planetary leaders were required to. Most of the Venusian generals and advisors had been very persistent about that and they had immediately expose her to various environments since she was four which was exactly when the Venusian king and queen had passed on during one of the war with Mars. However, with the help of her generals and several planetary leaders who opposed the war, they had worked together to stop the battles and had managed to form a planetary unification with Mars and later on with the other planets several years later which Minako was currently involved.

Being so young, Minako hardly had any recollection of her parents and that was also the reason why she had been so engrossed in helping other planets in rebuilding the damages the war had caused. Especially the one regarding the Earth and space colonies. With all the trainings she had gone through, she'd managed to take over her kingdom by the time she was fourteen, although it wasn't official yet. 

"Hyperactive, isn't she?" Andrite spun around and found another general smirking at him with amusement in her eyes. 

"You think?" he muttered, barely audible to her ear. 

Alya tossed her long, red hair aside and let out a chuckle. "Looks like she's improving a lot in her 'sneaking out' skills," she said unison. "Figures the pressure was a little too much on her. You should cut her some slacks…" 

"Well, if she keeps on pulling this stunt, I can assure you she won't be getting any slacks cut from me," he replied back solemnly. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a princess to find."

Before Andrite could leave, he felt Alya's firm hand gripped his arm. Andrite looked at her and frowned.

"Ally, do you mind?" he asked, motioning his head to her grasp. Alya didn't pull her hand away, instead she held it even tighter.

"Andy, just leave her alone for now," she said softly. 

Andrite scowled at her and replied, "I don't want to encourage this kind of behavior and I certainly do not want this habit to repeat again after her next birthday which is due in a few months time and you know what that means. I just hope she realize her duty as the only heir to the Venusian throne in time for her seventeenth birthday." 

"Andy, she's just like her mother," Alya murmured, letting out a small smile. "So full with spirit and always spreading optimism among others and in spite of her playful stunts, she possessed her father's intelligence and seriousness somewhere behind that mischievous smile of hers." 

Andrite frowned at her, raking his dark hair back with a frustrated sigh. "Ally, what are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is don't worry so much about her," she stated casually. "She has been well-trained since she was four and that is long enough for her to realize how important her duty is to her kingdom. And you certainly can't blame her for pulling those pranks or playing these childish games. You know what it's like to be sixteen and holding such a big responsibility that normal teenagers don't. I guess the reason she's always sneaking out is because of the increasingly amount of work she was assigned to do and the overwhelming pressure that came along with it. Come on, you've got to admit that we had been a little 'pushy' on her for the last couple of years…."

Andrite took a moment to compose his thoughts, realizing how much Alya's words seemed to make sense. "So what do you want me to do? Burn away the work papers and tell the kingdom she refuse to take the throne?"

Alya frowned at him but managed to remark, "I was thinking a month or two of vacation without any supervision from us but your suggestions sound so much better." Andrite couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Alya forced out a smile at him. 

"Well, since the matters regarding the planets' unification and the rebuilding of the Earth is finally settled, I'll think about it," he stated. "But don't get her hopes up too high just yet. I might just tag along with her on this vacation if I want to."

Minako smiled as she trotted along the shoreline, enjoying the combined feelings of the warm sand under her toes and the cool seawater which washed over her feet. The water glistened under the bright sun and the cloudless sky was amazingly in a beautiful shade of blue. It's been awhile since she had enjoyed such a view, she realized. She loved the noisy atmosphere of the children's happy laughter and their excited shouts. Most of the teenagers were playing at sea while most families had their picnic at the sandy area, making sandcastles with their children and playing volleyball. Everyone was having their typical day-at-the-beach-fun.

She felt the cool breeze blowing her long, blonde hair and billowing her wrapped, blue skirt. She had a slightly oversized white shirt on over her yellow bikini top which was pulled over the skirt. Her clothes blended in completely with the other Venusian there and none of them would have any idea that she was a princess, considering how strict and overprotective the generals had been for past couple of years. She was only allowed to attend certain functions, though not quite as often and sometimes if her presence was needed, Andrite would send a representative to fill in her shoes. In spite of her unusual situation which unable her to move freely, she was already well-known for what she had done, her leadership qualities and of course, the rumors of her beauty was naturally the talk of the planet, even though no one other than those working in the palace, several royalties and very little politicians had seen her.

Minako had complained several times to the generals that she was getting rather sick of being locked up in the palace but Andrite had patiently told her that she would be 'revealed' when the time comes for her to take the throne which meant, on her seventeenth birthday only then will the kingdom be introduced to their princess. It was actually one of the traditional Venusian customs which she can't go against. 

But even so, Minako had took her own initiative to visit her kingdom secretly once in awhile, dressed in casual clothes instead of her usual long gown. The best part about her disguise was she was able to make friends from various places which was a big change since she had been mixing around with her generals, royalties and politicians in her life. Of course, she couldn't tell her friends who she really was for it would obviously caused a chaos among them. 

A few children ran passed her, giggling and laughing among themselves. Minako smiled at them and watched as they hurried to their parents ahead of her. Suddenly, she felt someone's gaze on her. She slowly turned her head and found a beautiful girl sitting on the blanket in the distance. The girl had her sunglass on so Minako couldn't exactly see her eyes. She wore a bright red two piece swimwear that would obviously attract guys' attention and her straight, long, blonde hair fell loosely at her sides. Even though she had her sunglass on, Minako could tell she was looking directly at her. 

The girl noticed her stare but didn't acknowledge her. She seemed to be studying her, Minako realized in puzzle but decided to ignore it. For a moment there she wanted to go up to her and ask but decided against it as she realized how long she had been out. Andrite won't be very happy with her when she gets back but she didn't want to make it worse by staying out later than she intended. Slowly, she began to make her way back to the palace.

The girl watched as Minako trotted to another direction. If Minako had turned back, she would have realized the sly smile the girl was trying to hide from her view. "Looks like the search is over," she murmured, examining Minako's figure from the distance. 


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer : I don't owe GW or SM. Comments, suggestions or even flames are welcome. LONG VACATION 

By : Angel of Venus_l3(angelofvenus_l3@yahoo.com)

**CHAPTER TWO**

"…No, Liz, you don't understand," Quatre was saying intently on the phone. His voice was soft and casual but he was trying hard not to reveal his anger and frustration in his tone. "Look, why don't I send one of my best architect to the construction side to help you settle the problem? Are you sure? Really? Then, I guess I'll be down there this afternoon at three. Alright, then. Thank you, Liz."

Quatre let out a frustrated sigh as he hung up the phone. He hadn't been at the office for a day and the company had already faced a few difficulties without him. He knew he shouldn't have listen to Heero. Maybe he did need a rest but certainly not on Monday because that's when he had most of the incoming calls and appointments. He should have thought of that before he let Heero talk him into it. 

But then again knowing Heero, that man would probably barricade the door just to prevent Quatre from leaving the bedroom and he certainly can't argue with the 'Perfect Soldier'. Yesterday he had spent all of his time sleeping and resting in his room with his friends bringing him his meal like he was a sick person. He didn't mind it though since he hardly had the energy to get up.

Still, he wondered if that was worth the troubles he's facing now. It was only Tuesday, morning hadn't even pass yet and he was already exhausted and stressed. He was glad that he brought extra bottles of aspirin to work today. Just in case his migraine decided to kick in.

His eyes darted from one file to another which laid scattered on his desk. He suddenly noticed a stack of mails in different shapes at the corner. Sighing, he picked them up and went through them one by one. He wasn't surprise the amount of mails he received considering he hadn't attend work for a day. Most of the mails were invitations to various ceremonies from all over the world and some were from his board of directors and clients. Tossing each one to the side without even opening it, he finally came to the last letter which caught his attention. The letter was handwritten instead of the normal computer typed. He frowned when he noticed it was actually from Colony L6. 

He scanned the letter, trying to recall back when he had seen the handwriting before or remember anyone from Colony L6. He didn't have much contacts there except for several politicians but the envelope didn't seem formal like the others. Finally curiosity got the best of him, he tore the envelope open and took out a neatly folded paper. Almost immediately he could smell the fragrance of lilacs which lingered along in the letter. Judging by the fragrance, he could already tell it was from a girl. 

However, when he unfolded it and began to read the first line of the content, his eyes immediately widen in shock and his hung open in a small 'o'. "Oh no…" he murmured, his voice filled with dread and shock.

"I said China, you braided fool!" Wufei exclaimed in annoyance. 

Duo scowled at him and yelled back, "Hawaii, you injustice freak!"

"China!"

"Hawaii!"

"China!!!"

"Hawaii!!"

"Alright, that's enough!!" Heero cried out, banging his palm on the table. The two pilots scowled at him but they kept their mouth shut, knowing better than to anger the 'Perfect Soldier'. "We have to make a quick and final decision about this if we want to get the tickets by next Friday," he continued solemnly. 

"Which is exactly what we're doing and we would have a final decision made if it wasn't for some baka who disagree with the ideal choice," Wufei exclaimed, glaring at Duo who in return, rolled his eyes. 

Trowa who had been quiet all this while, finally spoke up, "Guys, I don't think spending our vacation here on Earth would be such a good idea." 

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" 

"Because being the richest man as he is, Quatre has a lot of easy access to his personal jets around the world so if he suddenly decided to leave in the middle of our vacation, it won't take him long to get a plane back home. And if we're really planning to bring him here when he's unconscious, he will definitely leave us as soon as he has the chance."

"So what do you propose?" Heero asked. 

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to spend some time in one of the planets in the solar system," Trowa replied thoughtfully. "The expanses are outrageous but I'm sure we all can afford it. What do you guys think?" 

"I call Neptune!" Duo exclaimed as he raised his hand, startling his friends at his sudden outburst. 

Wufei narrowed his eyes and cried out, "Mars!"

"Why on Earth would we spend our vacation in Mars?" Duo demanded. "There's hardly any 'cool' places there, don't mind the pun, you know how high the temperature is, right?"

"He's got a point, Wufei," Heero stated. "And just because Martians happen to be great warriors and an even greater challenge for you, it's not exactly appropriate for us to consider 'fighting combats' as a vacation. Especially not to Quatre." 

"Martians have very high tempers, they're not exactly very friendly and unless you think Quatre enjoys getting his butt kick several times just because he ask for ice in his tea, I suggest you pick someplace else," Trowa replied with a wry smile. Wufei snorted but surprisingly, he didn't make any further comment.

"So I guess it's Neptune then," Duo exclaimed, beaming proudly. 

"Not a chance, I'd say Saturn," Heero replied with a smirk. 

Duo's face fell. "Aw, come on, Heero, Neptune's great! It has this cool beach where we all can have the fun-in-the-sun activities. People there are very friendly and nice and when the night comes…." 

"I prefer Jupiter," Trowa spoke up, prompting a stare from Duo and Heero. Wufei just watched in amusement as the arguments began.

"Hey, I called Neptune first, I didn't hear any of you guys made any suggestions!"

"We just did." 

"Doesn't count a few seconds ago, Hee-man, I'd say Neptune and we're going to Neptune!"

"Don't call me Hee-man!"

"What's so bad about Jupiter?" 

"Other than the place was almost completely covered with forest and weird creatures, I'd say the services ain't that good either." 

"Well, Duo, camping is also one way to relax and Quatre enjoys outdoors activities." 

"Well, the rest of us doesn't enjoy being mauled by some weird creatures with three eyes and green skin or being lost in the jungles for several weeks as you do, Trowa. Saturn is the ideal place for us to have some fun…" 

Wufei smirked as his friends continued their heated 'discussion'. He even had time to pour himself a cup of coffee while his friends argued in the background.

The arguments went on for several minutes until they heard the door slammed. Abruptly the boys stopped talking and exchanged confuse glances with one another. 

"Who could that be?" Duo murmured but before he can stand up to find out who it was, Quatre suddenly entered the kitchen with a solemn expression on his face. 

"Quatre!" Duo exclaimed in surprise. 

Trowa, Wufei and Heero raised their eyebrows and took a quick glimpse at the clock on the ceiling. It was only ten twenty five in the morning which means something was definitely wrong with Quatre since he had never came back home at this hour before.

Quatre seemed lost in thoughts as he slowly sank on the nearest chair. His face showed signs of exhaustion but remained impassive so his friends couldn't exactly tell what he was thinking. He's in a shocking state, they realized as the blonde man refused to meet their gaze. When Quatre noticed Wufei's half drank coffee on the table, he grabbed the cup and gulped it down. 

"Woah, Quatre, are you okay?" Duo asked in concern. Quatre let out a weary sigh and muttered something under his breath. 

"What?" Wufei and Duo asked simultaneously. 

"Kat, what's the matter?" Trowa inquired as he gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, urging him to answer.

Quatre swallowed a few times and cleared his throat. "I said, do you guys really need me for this couple of days?" he croaked.

"Eer, does it matter?" Duo answered, exchanging brief glances with the other pilots who returned his gaze with a puzzle mixed with worried looks. "You're not usually at home anyway. Why do you ask?" 

"Well, are you free now?" he asked, still not meeting any of their gaze. 

Duo frowned at him as though Quatre had lost his mind but he answered him anyway, "Yeah…" 

"Good, then please book one ticket to Venus and get me the earliest flight. If possible, try to get the one that leaves tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Minako got back, she instantly crept into her room and changed back into a her usual bright orange gown. She knew Andrite would enter her room any moment now and start lecturing her about her last successful attempt of sneaking out. However, she wasn't worry at all of his anger. She had gotten used to it ever since she can't remember. 

She was leaning against the headboard of the bed and flipping through a magazine when a soft rap on the door was heard. 

"Come in," she said, tossing her magazine aside and abruptly sat up. As she expected, Andrite entered the room.

"You're back," Andrite said impassively, stating the obvious. Minako merely shrugged. She expected him to start his lecture but when he gently sat next to her with a soft smile on his face, she nearly stumble off the bed. 

"Glad you're home," he said softly. 

Minako's eyes widen in surprise. "Glad I'm home?" she exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise. "What's the catch?" 

Andrite chuckled and gently held her hands. "Listen, I know you've been working very hard on the projects regarding the political developments and the planets' unification but no matter how pressure you are on this matters, you shouldn't have sneaked out like that. We're really worried about your safety, princess and once you have taken over your kingdom which will be soon, we certainly can't afford to have you running out of the palace again." He paused, waiting her reply but she didn't give him any so he decided to continue.

"Princess, I know how much you want to lead your life like a normal girl but since you are born as a princess, I'm afraid the chance is pretty slim for that. You are required to fulfill your duties no matter what and your life will have an even bigger change once you take the throne." Minako let out a long, exasperate sigh as she rolled her eyes. 

"Which is why we want you to have a personal vacation now before you devoted all of your time on your royal duties."

Minako's eyes instantly shot up at his words. "Andy, are you serious?" she exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement. She found it hard to believe the words actually coming from her normally serious and strict friend. 

Andrite nodded his head. "Yes, I'm serious. You can go anywhere you want and you may spend most to most two months on this vacation of yours." 

Minako squealed in delight and she gave him a bear hug. "Thank you so much!! I'm so happy!! I better start packing, I have so much to do, so many places to go…"

"Yes, princess but there is a little requirement if you really want to go on this trip…" Minako's smile slowly left her face. She should have known this news was too good to be true or at least, she should have expected there was a catch behind all this. 

"What's the requirement?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Andrite licked his lips and took a deep breath. 

"One of us will have to come along on your vacation," he answered.

Minako frowned at him and exclaimed, "But Andy, I'm old enough to take care of myself and I certainly don't need any supervision from you or the others. And you did say it's my personal vacation. Why are you coming along?"

"I'm not," he replied patiently. "I have to stay here and monitor the previous developments while you're away. So I've ordered Alya, Daniel and five bodyguards to come along with you." 

"But it's my PERSONAL vacation!" Minako spluttered indignantly. "Can't I just do something without having someone breathing down my neck?" 

"What is so bad about having someone breathing down your neck?" he exclaimed, his tone slightly rising. "Your generals and those men are going to protect you during your vacation, why do you oppose that idea so much?" 

Minako sighed in frustration and fought back, "Because it won't be much of a difference if I didn't take this vacation in the first place! Everywhere I go, there you guys are and always telling me what to do and what not to do. I'm restricted to doing things I want to do, things I enjoy doing like….like singing and dancing and dating…" 

"Which you are not allow to do," Andrite intruded, his tone firm and serious. 

Minako sighed and snapped back, "Case in point!" 

Andrite scowled at her. "Princess, you may be well-trained in almost every aspects but we can't let you out of our sight no matter what. This is our job and as the Venusian princess, you are required to act decently like you're suppose to and what you have done so far weren't consider as one. You're not one of those silly teenagers who enjoys these inappropriate things, you are a princess and a special one at that." He paused, realizing Minako was glaring intently at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes and probably trying unsuccessfully to shut him out.

Sighing, he continued in a softer tone, "Princess, I know you're upset about this whole idea but this is as far as I can go into letting you have a little freedom before you turn seventeen. I can't possibly let you go anywhere without a bodyguard or someone who I trust to protect you on your journey and as for your 'sneaking out' habits, I hope you weren't planning on continuing that ever again because if you do, I might have to take some drastic actions to prevent that from happening. I know how pressure you had been for the last couple of months, maybe even years and that is why I'm offering you the opportunity to have some time out from work. So, now I'm giving you a choice. Either take this vacation along with Daniel, Alya and five bodyguards or you can just stay here at the palace where all your movements will be securely guarded by me." 

With that, Andrite stood up and proceed to leave the room. Before he closed the door, he turned to Minako and replied softly, "Just think about it, princess." 

As soon as the door was closed, Minako flung a pillow at the door as hard as she could. He sounded like he was threatening her, she realized bitterly. And he's suppose to be a friend! Minako had the urge to scream and she felt so angry. They just can't leave her alone and that thought made her even angrier. Minako tried to calm herself and contemplated her thoughts, weighing the pros and cons of Andrite's offer. It certainly won't be much of a difference if she hadn't leave Venus. Obviously. She sighed in exasperate and sprinted to the full length window.

Night time had fallen and the stars were sparkling brightly as usual. She remembered when she and Andrite were little, they used to gaze at the stars every night with hope that they might see a shooting star. Being a children as they were, they really believed that their wishes might come true if they wish on the shooting star. Surprisingly, they never seen any even though it's already been years and Minako knew Andrite had slowly outgrown that game. Even so, she still gaze at the stars late at night and sometimes even make a wish even though there wasn't any shooting star. 

Tonight, the stars seemed to be twinkling brighter than usual. Minako lightly pressed her fingers on the window glass where one of the brightest star was located.

"I wish I can experience something different for once," she murmured solemnly to herself. "I wish my life would change…."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're engaged?!!" Duo cried out in shock at the blonde man who was slumping on the armchair. 

"For the sixteenth time, Duo, yes," Quatre replied wearily. "I'm engaged."

Trowa and Heero remained expressionless while Wufei just frowned. The three of them were sitting at the couch while Duo had been pacing back and forth across from them, trying to digest the news.

"And this fiancé of yours is coming for a visit soon?" Trowa inquired, his eyebrows knitted. Quatre nodded his head and gulped down the coffee which Duo had made for him.

"I can't believe I forgot about Caroline…" he muttered, placing the empty cup on his lap. 

"Yeah, that's really hard to believe considering how cute this little girl is," Duo said, a wry smile played on his lips as he gazed at the picture which Quatre had handed to him. The girl in the picture was cute, Quatre had to admit because it was taken six years ago and the child certainly look like an angel. Blonde hair, pretty smile, blue eyes…. 

"Duo, I've spend most of my time in the battlefield so I hardly have any time to keep in touch with her," Quatre explained, running a hand through his platinum blonde hair roughly. "We sort of lost touch during the war and I completely forgot about our engagement. Well, it's not really a surprise since we weren't exactly keen about one another." 

"You hated her?" Heero inquired. 

Quatre bit his bottom lip and frowned. "'Hate' is such a strong word, Heero, I prefer the word 'dislike'. I've met her only once when I was twelve and she's eleven and that's exactly when we realize we don't like each other. At all…" 

"You would say that because both of you are just spoiled," Wufei pointed out nonchalantly. "Plus, you were only twelve and she's eleven."

"Fine, I was spoiled but I bet she haven't change, even after all this years," Quatre stated softly. "She kept insulting me since we first met which sometimes prompted several arguments and she always bragged about her rich heritage. Believe me, we hardly get along even though our parents were close which explains why we got engaged in the first place. Our parents made us write letters to each other almost every month but eventually we lost touch because of the war. I was always at the battlefield and she's always busy with her life. The last time I received her letter was almost five years ago and we barely share much of our personal life. At least, she hardly said much about herself except for her bragging about being the daughter of the wealthiest tycoon in the colony. After all these years, now she wants to make an appearance."

"Well, you had forgotten about her, Quatre," Trowa pointed out with a wry smile. Quatre looked thoughtful. "Okay, good point but anyway, she's doing this because her father, Mr. Calvert made her and if he didn't intrude in our life, we would still consider ourselves….available." Duo and the others blinked and soon, they burst out laughing. Quatre frowned at them. "That's not funny," he exclaimed. The laughter slowly died down and Duo finally managed a reply, "I'm sorry, Kat. It's just that…hearing those words coming out from you is very….funny. I mean, she would have thought of that but you! You're already married to your office!" 

"Still not funny," Quatre stated flatly. "What's so bad about this girl anyway?" Trowa asked. "She might have change, you know. It's been several years…" "I doubt it," Quatre answered with a sigh. "She sounds the same in her letter which I received today, stating how she was forced to come by for a visit and of course, there's a couple of insults from her which I rather not say. Mr. Calvert even talked to me on the phone right after I read her letter. I…I didn't know what made me agree to have her around."

"So that means you'll be living in your REAL mansion then, considering she can't possibly live in our house…" Duo stated. Quatre nodded his head solemnly. Heero shifted in his seat as he asked, "How long will she be here?" "A month and a half," Quatre answered wearily. "And if possible, her father wants us to get married by then." 

The other pilots' eyes widen in surprise and before anyone could make any comment about that, Quatre quickly implied, "Which is why I need this vacation to calm myself before I go totally bonkers about the whole idea. Duo, did you book the ticket yet? I like to leave some time tomorrow morning." It took Duo a moment to close his mouth which hung open a couple of seconds ago before answering, "Uh, yeah, one ticket to Venus tomorrow 9.30 in the morning and I've already made the hotel reservation…" "Thanks," Quatre muttered, barely audible to Duo.

"Quatre, if you oppose to this kind of thing so much, why do you bother going through it?" Wufei demanded. "Both of you have mutual feelings for each other, at least in this matter, so why can't one of you just bail?" Quatre's gaze fell to the floor. "Because I can't. My father had signed this contract with Mr. Calvert which will bind us together. I can't go against it and she didn't want to break the contract either because she has a reputation to keep."

"But Quatre, that's not really fair…" Duo exclaimed but Quatre immediately stopped him, "I know, that's why I need this vacation. I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing and I…I need some time to think clearly, it's too hard a decision for me to make." Duo bit his lip when he realized how tired Quatre looked. He didn't realize they had been talking for quite some time in Quatre's bedroom and the blonde man looked more exhausted than ever. 

"Kat, why don't you take a rest?" Duo murmured to his friend. "We can discuss this later if you want to but right now, just try to relax. If you want, we can help you with the packing..." "No, I can managed that by myself, thanks anyway," Quatre replied and managed a weak smile. The other four pilots slowly took their leave. As soon as his friends were gone, Quatre let out a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands. He began to feel the pressures overwhelming inside of him which threatened to burst out anytime now.

He really didn't expect to see Caroline, not after all these years and he certainly didn't plan on getting married to her or anyone else anytime soon. He wanted so much to get out of the arranged marriage but he wasn't the kind of person to break a promise, let alone a contract, no matter how much he opposed to those kind of things. As if his work isn't enough, he had a marriage to think about, he thought bitterly to himself. 

Quatre was lost in his thoughts for almost two hours, trying to find a way out of his misery but he still haven't made any decision. He didn't want to break the contract nor did he want to get married to someone he didn't even like which of course, indicated that he was still where he had left off. His friends couldn't possibly help him out in this matter and his sisters would probably encourage him to marry his fiancé. After all, it was in the contract.

Realizing that he was getting nowhere, Quatre slowly got up from his armchair and head straight to the bathroom, hoping that a long, hot bath would refresh him and maybe also wash away his worries which was obviously too much to ask for.

Outside Quatre's bedroom, the other pilots gathered quietly in the living room. Trowa was leaning heavily against the wall while Heero and Wufei sat on the couch. Duo stood in the middle of the room, practically lost in thoughts, as were the rest. Neither of them really knew what to say, not that they have anything to say in the first place. Except for Duo.

"Does that mean our vacation is cancel?" 

The next day after he said goodbye to his friends, Quatre had quickly headed to the airport and waited anxiously for his flight. He wore a light purple jacket over a simple black shirt and matching purple pants. Before he left, he had told Herro and Trowa to inform his personal assistants that he would be staying at Venus for three days. Even though he needed the rest, he couldn't possibly neglect his work papers which were coming in every hour of every day. 

After one hour and a half of waiting, Quatre finally boarded the shuttle. The flight attendants greeted him warmly and he only managed a simple nod instead of his usual warm 'thank you'. He quickly got to his seat and closed his eyes. He hardly got enough sleep last night and he still felt exhausted as usual. The thought of going for a vacation didn't intrigue him much. He had been to Venus several times on a business trip but he never actually got to enjoy the environment there. Even so, he never failed to notice the beauty of the beach there which was often the main places of interest for the outsiders. 

Maybe I'll be able to get some relaxation there, he thought silently to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early before dawn, Minako quietly crept out of the palace and headed straight to the place which she often goes. The beach. Since the sun hasn't risen yet, the beach was practically empty and the only sound heard was the roaring of the waves. Even though there was hardly anyone around, Minako wore her usual oversize white shirt over her wrapped flower print skirt. She took off her sandal and let the cool seawater touched her feet. 

Her mind immediately drifted to the heated discussion she had with Andrite. Even though she had thought about his stupid 'offer' over and over again, she still couldn't make up her mind on whether she should go on the 'personal' vacation or not. Daniel, who was one of Andrite's closest friends, was almost as strict as Andrite but he had a gentle side which he only reserved for Alya alone. Minako wasn't close to him as she was to Alya but she knew him well enough to know how serious he took his duty. Figures Andrite would place someone like him to watch over her, she thought bitterly. And knowing Daniel, her vacation won't be much of a difference then being at the palace. 

Minako's thoughts were broken when she instantly felt a presence nearby. Being trained since she was four had taught her to be aware of her surroundings at all times, well, most of the time. She quickly spun around and found a figure staring at her in a distance. Immediately she recognized the stranger. It was the same girl which had been staring at her yesterday. This time the girl didn't have her sunglass on and Minako almost gasped when she realized her looks. 

The girl seemed to notice her surprise and she smirked at the young princess. The girl had the same blonde hair like Minako's, only Minako's hair was a little longer and more blonde, they had the same blue eyes but the girl's pair were slightly dull, the same height, the same figure and probably the same weigh. Both of them looked so alike, Minako realized in shock. They had so much resemblance that they could almost be twins. 

Of course, being the reincarnation of the Goddess of Love which beauty couldn't be compared, Minako's radiance features were so much softer than the girl and if people looked a little closer, they could tell the difference between the princess and the girl almost easily. Plus, Minako wore her hair in her usual half ponytail while the girl let her hair flowed freely. The girl also wore her usual two piece swimsuit, only today it was in black and equally as daring as the red one yesterday. A white towel was draped lazily around her neck.

Minako realized that both of them had been staring at each other for more than a minute without a single word but she couldn't bring herself to say anything at the sudden unexpected encounter with someone who looked almost exactly like her. She wondered why she hadn't notice the resemblance before. The girl smirked as she run a hand through her blonde hair.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect anyone to be here at this hour," she replied casually, walking towards her until they were a few feet apart. "But what the heck, I can blew off skinny dipping for a discussion with you which I was hoping for some time today." She had a very husky voice that almost sounded a little rough. Minako's melodic voice was so much sweeter and softer compared to the girl. Minako raised her eyebrow in puzzle at her previous statements. "Excuse me?" she politely asked, trying to make sure whether she heard the girl correctly. The girl's smile grew wider as she chuckled. "Why don't we go to my hotel first for a little chat? Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or kidnap you or anything, nothing like that. I just…have a little offer that you might be interested."

Minako knew she had enough offer than she could handle but somehow curiosity got the best of her so she reluctantly agreed to go with the girl. "Can I at least know what is your offer about?" Minako inquired, still in puzzle as they walked along the shoreline. The girl shrugged. "Well, I'm sure you realized the resemblance between us and I was just thinking….maybe we could have a little fun by switching identities for a while. I'll pay you, of course, just name your price but there are several rules about this switching identity things. And before I tell you what they were, are you interested at all?" The girl's piercing blue eyes instantly fixed on Minako's sparkling ones, as though probing for her immediate agreement on the previous matter.

Despite her surprise, somehow the idea of being someone else immediately intrigued Minako. After all, she was getting rather sick of being a princess who always had an overprotective general and bodyguards around her at all times, it might be very interesting to experience what it was like to be someone else for a change. Someone who was not a princess, of course. Minako slowly let out a smile. "Why not?" she simply stated.

The girl gave her a satisfied smile and replied back, "Great, then I hope we won't have much problem pretending to be someone else who is a complete stranger." "Well, if you're serious about this switching places, I'm sure we'll work that out. By the way, I'm Mina Andrews," she lied, extending her hand to her. 

The girl smirked and shook hands with Minako. "Caroline, Caroline Calvert."


	3. chapter 3

LONG VACATION 

By : Angel of Venus_l3 (angelofvenus_l3@yahoo.com)

**CHAPTER THREE**

Quatre was glad by the time he woke up, the shuttle had already landed on Venus. He had slept for hours in the flight and began to feel his back cramped. Even so, the sleep didn't help him much but he did feel a little rested. Venus wasn't much different than any other planets, he noted. It was almost easy to identify a Venusian. Practically every pure Venusian had blonde hair and bright blue eyes and it was usually difficult to spot a brunette or a red hair walking around in Venus unless they worked there which was quite rare.

Despite the Venusian's friendliness, outsiders were not really welcome there and the Venusian generals had set several strict rules for tourists or outsiders. It was for their safety purposes which was highly understandable since the previous war with Mars had left a painful scar to the Venusian. Only those who were extremely wealthy, royalties or high ranked generals could afford a visit there. Quatre had went there a couple of times on a business trip but never had a chance to meet the generals or the famous 'mysterious' princess as everybody had like to claim. He did get several invitations to Venus but he hardly had any time to attend the functions because of his incoming projects and the distant between Earth and Venus had became a major problem which would take up most of his time. 

When Quatre reached his hotel, he was immediately mesmerized by the beautiful view. Duo had booked him a hotel which was exactly by the beach. Figures Duo had such good tastes for these kind of things, he thought with a smile. After Quatre had placed his bags in his room, he instantly run down to the beach to inspect the view. The ocean was certainly in a beautiful shade of blue, as was the cloudless sky. The warm sand shone as brightly as the dessert on Earth. He could feel the warm rays of sunlight on his skin and the excited cries of the Venusian kids running around by the shore echoed in his ears, mixing with the sounds of the seagulls and the ocean. 

Quatre wished he could be as happy and carefree as they were. He watched as the children happily built sandcastles with their parents and several teenagers swimming in the sea. It's been awhile since he had some fun, he suddenly realized. He didn't realize how much he had missed the fun times he had with his friends and even the shortest hour of their precious moments were considered memorable to him. But now, he could hardly remember the last time he went out with the pilots for their 'guys night-out' as Duo liked to claim. 

"Maybe I have been a little too serious on my work…" he mumbled to himself. He made a mental note to spend a little more time at home rather than his office. After he found a way to settle his present problem, that is. Quatre slowly walked along the beach, enjoying the cool breeze and the sweet smell of the ocean. He let his mind drifted randomly as he watched the waves rhythmically made their way across the white sand before departing and withdrawing back to join the sea. Almost immediately, he felt at peace upon the calm surrounding. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Let me get this right…" Minako said as she studied Caroline's impassive features. Both of them were sitting comfortably across from each other at the table in Caroline's hotel room which was located exactly by the beach. As Minako expected, Caroline was obviously one of the wealthiest girl she had ever met. She had followed the girl back to her hotel which was actually one of the classiest and most expensive hotel in Venus. From the skimpy material she wore, the way she talked and the posh way she walked, Minako figured she was well spoilt for a mere teenage girl. And she wasn't exactly the nicest person on Venus, too. 

"You are actually engaged to this guy who you haven't seen in six years and the main reason why you wanted to switch places with me would be because you have your own two month special vacation with your boyfriend which happened to be the exact time when you're suppose to stay with your fiance?"

"Yes, well, my father really want us both to get along so he had arranged for us to stay together at his mansion somewhere on Earth for a month. But unfortunately, I have other plans…" "Yes, but with this engagement, everything seem sort of risky now," Minako said doubtfully. "Are you sure this plan will work?" Caroline nodded affirmatively and poured herself a glass of wine. Minako couldn't help frowning at that. It was hardly even morning and this girl was starting it early with an alcohol beverage which was not healthy. However, she restraint herself from saying anything and focused on the topic of discussion. 

Caroline didn't seem to notice Minako's slight discomfort and was about to take a sip until she realized something. "Oh, sorry," she said, tilting the glass. "Do you want any?" Minako shook her head politely. Caroline shrugged and took a delicate sip of the wine. She then set the glass down and spoke casually, "Look, Mina, this plan is actually very simple if you know how to pull it off. Actually this visit is unexpected to me, too. I already have my vacation planned out and everything when my dear old father suddenly declared that I will be visiting him on that very week which is a total dent to my plans." 

Minako sensed a little resentment in the area of discussion which indicated the obvious reasons why Caroline was so eager to switch identities in the first place. "Um, I'm a little confuse here," Minako reluctantly admitted. "Well, I've never been engaged before so I wouldn't really know but wouldn't it be cheating on your fiancé if you go on your vacation with another guy, even if you don't have any feelings for him…" Minako was surprised when Caroline let out a mock laugh. "Oh, please," she exclaimed, waving Minako's statement away with a swift motion of her delicate hand. "He's not the noblest man on Earth, you know. He probably doesn't even care that I have a boyfriend once we're married." 

Minako frowned at her in disapproval. "That's terrible," she exclaimed in disgust. "How could you even say that when you haven't even talk to him for years? And how could you cheat behind his back like that?" Caroline merely shrugged, tilting the glass. "I am marrying him in the end, aren't I?" she argued, almost in an irritated tone. "So before that most…" she paused to sip her wine and continued sarcastically, " 'special day of my life' comes, I just want to have one last fling before my darling husband restrict me from going out on dates or see other people."

The Venusian princess wanted to say more but Caroline had immediately continued before she had the chance, "It's not any of your concern anyway, Mina. Don't look at me like I had just committed a crime, it's practically normal for a girl to see other people while she's already engaged or even married. I just don't know why you Venusian people can't understand this simple needs in life. With your pure Venusian beauty, you can get every guy you wanted with a simple click of your fingers and not just one guy. The guys on Earth will do almost anything to have a Venusian as a girlfriend. Why not used that beauty you have for a little….fun? Isn't beauty well-known in your planet?"

"We are also well known for our love and loyalty to the ones we care about," Minako implied, trying to hide her anger in the soft tone of hers. "We don't flaunt ourselves at men just to get their attention and we don't use our beauty to get what we want. That's not our way." "Yeah, other than beauty, you Venusian are gifted with extreme skills in love-making," Caroline commented with a wry smile, as though challenging Minako right there and then. Minako's eyes widen in shock at her statement. "Don't get mad, sweetie, it's a compliment," Carolined continued, almost too genuinely. "It's a really huge benefit for both parties, if you know what I mean. I bet your famous Venusian princess is very skillful at that, even if she's not as pretty as you people imagined. By god, the things people say when they hadn't even met her. But with that kind of skills, who cares about looks?" 

Minako glared at her in anger. It was no secret that most people were jealous of the Venusian for their beauty but she hated it when other people misunderstood the Venusian like that. And the insult about her was more than enough. Every Venusian was borne with their own inner beauty and even though they were gifted with such looks and 'skills', they don't take advantage of that. That was not the Venusian ways of doing things and getting what they wanted in advance. She had the right mind to wipe that smile on Caroline's features with a sharp slap .

"I resent that," Minako yelled, not even bothering to hide her anger. "You have no right to…" "Look, honey, I don't have much time here," Caroline cut in, as if Minako had never spoken before. "I need to know, are you still willing to do this? Because we need to get everything worked out fast before I leave Venus and that is in a few days time. I assure you, everything will work out well provided you do exactly as I told you to and of course, I will pay you handsomely if this plan's a success. So what's it going to be?" Minako was still sore at their previous conversation but she was really glad for the changed of subject. 

"I'm still not sure about this," she reluctantly replied. "Your fiancé might not notice the differences but what about your father? He will, after all, drop by once in awhile to see you…" "Trust me, he won't realize it either," Caroline assured her. "If you know how to act like me, then there's nothing to worry about." Seeing that Minako was unconvinced, Caroline sighed exasperatedly and exclaimed, "God, there's nothing for you to be scared of. Just trust me, everything will go well as planned." Minako noticed how confident Caroline seemed. Either because she was too ignorant about the consequences of their plan or she was just brave, Minako couldn't tell. 

"What about dates?" Minako asked, still trying to digest the information which she had received so far. "Wouldn't he want to go on a date or something?" Caroline chuckled at her and tossed her hair to the side. "Oh, don't worry about that," she exclaimed with a mischievous grin. "I heard from my father that he's pretty busy with his work and all so he hardly has anytime for me, or in this matter, for you. So just relax and have your own fun. Plus, once you arrive there, I bet he'll be showering you with gifts just to be polite so you can make use of that advantage. He's very wealthy and…useful, if you know what I mean." 

Minako tried to hide her disgust as she watched Caroline chuckled to herself. She didn't like what Caroline was doing to this guy so far and now she had the nerve to suggest she make use of this advantage. But then again, it did sound so much better than being at the palace. At least no one would be watching over her at all time. Caroline wordlessly took out a small picture from her purse, gazed at it briefly before handing it to her. Minako reluctantly took it and gazed at the young boy in the picture, well aware that he must be the 'lucky' guy Caroline was engaged to. The boy in the picture couldn't be more than thirteen, with that adorable smile and the bright blue eyes that seemed to reflect the innocence that a child would have. He's so cute, she had to admit. He seemed so innocent and pure…but something in that smile of his and that eyes, held a hint of sadness in them. Because of the recent wars? Or something else? 

"What's the little guy's name?" Minako murmured, still gazing at the picture. Caroline poured herself another glass of wine. "Qatara something Winner, one of the ex-Gundam pilots or something…." "Quatre Raberba Winner?!!" Minako cried, looking entirely perplex. "Oh my Venusian goddess! I don't believe it! You're engaged to Quatre Raberba Winner, one of those guys who piloted the Gundams! And there haven't been a single news about the engagement! Oh, you are so lucky…" 

"Yeah, whatever," Caroline interrupted in a boring tone. "Great that you know him and all but Qatara…" "Quatre," Minako corrected her. Caroline rolled her eyes and continued in exasperate, "Fine, Quatre isn't exactly the greatest person on Earth so you don't have to get all worked up. I mean, yeah, sure, he's involved in the political development on the colonies and maintaining his father's business and all at the same time but anyone can do that. He's just happen to be lucky, that's all. Now I have to address the most important question here. Are you going to do this or not?" 

Minako gazed at the picture and later at Caroline. She had heard so many stories about the Gundam pilots and had always dreamt of meeting them, even though she had never seen how any of them looked like, including Quatre. Now that she had the chance, there was no way she could pass it up. Plus she would be staying with one of them without any supervision from anyone and that was a big bonus. That thought helped her a lot in making her decision. Smiling, she tossed the picture on the table, clearly her mind made up and replied thoughtfully, "I'll do it." 

For the next few hours, Minako spent her time in Caroline's room. Caroline told her almost everything about herself which Minako found mostly disgraceful and everything she knew about Quatre which wasn't much. She even showed the princess the letters which Quatre had been sending to her years ago and Minako couldn't help noting how cute Quatre's handwritings were. Every time Caroline mentioned anything about Quatre, she always made his name sound like a dirty word. The things he wrote in the letters were polite and very well-written for a twelve-year-old boy. He did write a little personal things about himself in the letter, though Minako couldn't tell whether he meant it or not. 

Minako couldn't help feeling excited about the plan for she had always wanted to meet the Gundam pilots after hearing all those stories about them and what they had done to attain peace at such a young age. She had never met them or knew how they looked and she was always trying to talk her generals into letting her see them but Andrite had refused to bring her to Earth or let her go to any function which required one of the pilots', mainly Quatre's presence as well. Andrite had gave her 'safety purposes' as an excuse but Minako knew how much he disliked those Gundam pilots. 

Despite the peace which the pilots had tried so hard to achieve and protect, the previous amount of destructions which were caused by the Gundams had led Andrite and several others to believe how ruthless and dangerous they might be, even if the mobile suits were no longer in use or their skills no longer in need. Andrite had always hated all types of war, mainly because it reminded him of the loss of his own parents in the battles and also the Venusian king and queen who had favored him like their own son. Minako knew if Andrite found out what she was planning to do, he would be more than just furious, judging how high-tempered he could get and his prompt actions would certainly be drastic. But despite the consequences, this opportunity was too good to miss and she had never gotten a chance as close as this one. No matter what the situation would be, she had made up her mind to go. 

"Mina, where have you been?" The sudden voice startled Minako but when she realized it was only Alya, she breathe out a sigh of relief and immediately closed the door to her room abruptly so that no one would notice her previous disappearance. She had hoped no one would realize she had been missing for almost three hours but that was too much to hope for, it seemed.

"Out," she answered bluntly. "For fresh air. Does Andy know?" Alya shook her head slowly in a manner to comfort the troubled princess. "No because I told him you were still asleep," Alya answered, crossing her arms. "But Mina, still, you shouldn't worry him like that, you know. He has a duty to perform, after all and he only cares about your safety." "Right, by keeping me a prisoner in this old cage," Minako said indignantly, plopping on the sofa. Alya could easily tell the Venusian princess was still holding a grudge against Andrite's so-called proposal. Nevertheless, she couldn't argue on her behalf on that matter considering Andrite was still the Head of the Venusian Generals and she herself was required to follow his orders in order to keep her job. 

"Well, I don't know if this sounds any good to you…" Alya murmured, sitting next to Minako. "But Andrite agreed to let only Daniel and me come along on your trip. That is, if you're still up to it." Minako's eyes suddenly lit up upon that subject. Of course she was still up to it, she added to herself but managed to conceal her excitement with a less enthusiastic shrug. "Yeah, I guess. The lesser the merrier." "Great," Alya exclaimed, pecking her cheek lightly. "Daniel and I will promise to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible so that you won't feel tied down. Now you better change and get your breakfast before Andrite realize you had been sleeping way past your schedule." Minako nodded as the older general rose to her feet.

Alya was halfway out the door when she stopped abruptly and whipped around. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention," she exclaimed, slamming her fist to her palm. "Tonight's the 'Stargazing' festival, remember? The one that you had really begged Andrite to take you to three weeks ago. Are you still up to it?" Minako failed to mask her surprise over the sudden invitation. "Really?!" she exclaimed, her mouth hung open. "I mean, are you serious? I can go if I want to?" Alya chuckled upon seeing the princess's sudden eagerness. "Yeah, Andrite was the one who suggested it. Of course, since he hadn't any plans for tonight, he decided to take the risk of letting you go. With him." "Just both of us?" Minako inquired, her face fell. The sudden thought of Andrite and her spending some time together hardly struck her exciting like it would have ten years ago. She couldn't imagine how much fun she would have with him as her escort. 

"Sounds romantic, huh?" Alya replied, smiling wryly as though reading her thoughts. "I think he's just making it up for your ruined vacation. Try not to be so hard on him, at least he's trying to make peace." "I suppose," Minako murmured reluctantly. "Why don't you come along? I'm not sure if we can stand around each other without him telling me what or what not to do there. Maybe you can distract him while I sneak off to another part of the festival…" 

Alya chuckled, waving off her trailing sentence. "Believe it or not, Andrite had come to the same conclusion and he had asked me to come with him as well. I was thinking of taking off with Daniel tonight but seeing as you both needed me, I'll go. But you have to promise not to leave me alone with him longer than fifteen minutes or I might sneak off myself!"


	4. chapter 4

LONG VACATION 

By : Angel of Venus_l3

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Quatre peered out the hotel window with a wistful sigh. Tiny pinpricks of astral light decorated the midsummer night, joining the moon in its effort to illuminate the sky. The silver rays of moonlight shone against the ocean which prompted the sky to seemingly stretch out infinitely. He could hear the angry roars of the waves against the window pane, so violent and strong as they effortlessly followed their usual pattern, slapping wildly against the sand before rejoining the immense ocean. Quatre's gaze immediately fixed at the stars. He couldn't help noting how many they were, dancing in their forever changing patterns in the sky, prompting him to be fascinated by such wonderful creation. His fascination towards the beautiful night had distracted him from his troubled mind, offering him peace and tranquility. He couldn't remember ever seeing so many of them on Earth or the colonies. Even though he had been to space numerous times, he was always amazed by how immense the universe was and the magnificent events that occurred mysteriously in space such as the birth of the stars, comets, shooting stars and meteor showers. 

He tried to remember the last time he was in space, trying to recall back the last time he had witnessed such fascinating events but he was suddenly jolted with other 'reminders'. Memories of the wars that he had sealed in his mind slowly began to unfold, emitting a soft cry from him as he felt the bitter pain clutching him once more. He felt a sudden rush of pain overflowing in his heart but only briefly, as he reminisced back the outcome of his actions, the friendship he had made with the pilots and the brotherly bonds that came out of it. If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have gone through as far as he had now and he had learnt a lot based on the experiences he had gained in the previous years.

The wars had scarred them deeply in various ways, physically and mentally and the lives of the innocents they had took by force were always a reminder of the guilt but their efforts weren't in vain as they achieved what they had wanted, not to mention the unexpected acquaintances they had made and lessons they had learnt along the way. They had attained peace, something that they had always dreamt of and fought for years, sacrificing their childhood and almost their lives as well but it was definitely worth the effort. Now he was determined to help with the upbringing of a new environment in order to protect the peace and his friends were doing the same as well but in their own different way. 

Abrupt noises mixed with happy laughter jerked him from his previous thoughts, prompting him to peer down below. He squinted his eyes, suddenly realizing the presence of a large crowd gathering at the far end of the beach and the bright glow that emitted from it. He could make out ornaments and lanterns were hung everywhere as decoration to brighten the place but even without them, Quatre could tell that the place would be radiant anyway. The docks were surrounded with old-fashioned stalls, contrasting to the modern technologies that the Venusian had acquired over the recent developments. He had heard that the people of this planet had a strong sense of their heritage and they were determined to keep their ancestors' legacies and customs alive so he figured this gathering of some sort was part of the traditional festivals that they occasionally held.

Somewhere between the numerous crowds, he noticed several Venusian dancing among themselves. The similarity of their dances were unfamiliar to him, though he didn't mind participating in the event himself. Some of the young children joined in the dance in their own small group, laughing joyously with the elders. Quatre couldn't help but smile at the scene. He had never get the chance to experience the Venusian culture since he always had a busy schedule ahead of him. But now since he was 'free', he wouldn't want to miss this chance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wow, even the malls wasn't this crowded during sale," Alya muttered as they pushed themselves through the crowd. Andrite couldn't agree more on that. 

Dressed in old fashioned clothing instead of their formal uniforms, the two half Venusian looked more like teenagers than the high ranked generals that they were. To participate in the festival, all Venusian, half or pure, were required to dress in clothes that their old ancestors used to wear during their time. Although this custom doesn't applied on tourists or visitors, most of them rather followed this particular tradition so that they could enjoy the festival to its full extent. Practically all the ladies were dressed in long gowns and men in old fashioned tuxes, garments or robes. 

Andrite had been taking care not to reveal any unnecessary identification or conversation that would mutedly declare the sign of his general rank to the public. He doesn't mind acting like one, though but the princess obviously would not appreciate his sense of 'duty' when they were suppose to be having fun like he promised. 

Andrite tried to restrain himself from constantly stealing glances at Minako, silently admiring her beauty and inhaling the sweet smell of jasmine that trailed her figure. Even without applying any cosmetics, she looked mesmerizing and would easily put any beauty pageant to shame. No surprise there since she was, after all, the reincarnation of the Goddess of Love and Beauty. The half shouldered, long, silky white gown hugged her body nicely and her blonde hair was tied in a bun, allowing tendrils of her hair to fall loosely at the sides. Even in a different style of clothing, she still held the characteristics of a princess. The warm smile that graced her features and her generous presence appeared to light up the whole area. It seemed so obvious that he wasn't the only person who thought so. Andrite noted how many of those young men eyeing the princess from afar but he cast them a brief glare, clearly indicated for them to stay away.

Despite the fact that he had been by her side for more than five hours straight, Andrite hardly spoke to her more than ten words today. She had been eerily quiet with him since hours ago, fulfilling her duties obediently without any complaints, talking only when asked or necessary. He didn't mind the silence or the obedience but he was a little hurt, knowing well that the princess was still sore over their previous talk. He didn't even dare to talk to her, afraid that it might resulted into another fight since he had the tendency to anger the young girl even though he meant well. But it doesn't matter anyway, there was no way he would change his mind, even if her sadness tortured him. 

Minako had never been to a festival before and her first experience here was enjoyable. They had missed the parade due to her dinner date with Neptunian Prince Andrew but the games and performances there had made up for the delay. She didn't expect to see so many events on one occasion but it only added more to her excitement. To her, the light snacks that were sold there were better than the rich delicacies at the palace and the games were better and more fun than horseback riding, her weekly trainings or attending coronation balls. The friendliness of her own people surprised her when she was instantly greeted by them. She was even brave enough to strike up conversations with strangers. Though her actions clearly disturbed Andrite, Alya had supported her by joining in as well, making new acquaintances that mutedly persuaded the stall workers to give her more discounts on the items that were sold. Not wanting to ruin their fun, Andrite had decided to let that go and remained silent, smiling once in awhile to mask his disapproval. 

Minako stopped abruptly at a nearby stall, examining the glittering trinkets that had caught her eye. She picked up a necklace that held a gold heart shaped pendant attached to it with a Venus sign engraved in the middle of the heart. Alya came up behind her and inspected the other jewelries, selecting several that would go well with her. Andrite noticed the princess's admiration towards the necklace and slowly approached her. 

Before Andrite could say anything, Minako instantly cut him, narrowing her eyes coldly, "Yes, I know I have jewels worth of thousands at home but most of them hardly mean anything to me, in case you didn't know." That was the most that she had ever talked to him today and it pained him a little at the obvious resentment. He bit back his tongue from retaliating against her for it would only make it worst. He had wanted to tell her that the pendant was beautiful and he meant it genuinely but kept it to himself, figuring she might refused to accept his sincerity.

Minako noticed the brief hurt expression on Andrite's face from the corner of her eye and knew she had gone a little too far. She was about to apologize to him when the lady selling the trinkets suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "The pendant is lovely, isn't it?" she murmured, smiling warmly. Minako smiled back in reply and the lady continued, "Rumors had it that this necklace is actually a gift to a princess from her Venusian suitor. According to legend, this necklace is able to make the wearer fell in love with the person who give it away." 

Minako had never believed in those stories before, obviously she was well taught by the generals and advisors to differentiate between true legends and mere nonsense. Andrite hadn't make a single remark against it. Most of the sellers here had applied the same method on their business, using fake 'legendary' artifacts or stories to attract customers into purchasing their items. Some of them were real, though it was hard to tell which. "If you want, we can carve words on it…" "No, that's okay," Minako replied politely, placing the necklace back where she found it. Even though he remained impassive, she knew Andrite wouldn't approve her purchasing unnecessary items here. 

A sudden slow, soft melody began to play. The music was painfully slow and wasn't the usual romantic type that she used to dance to. She recognized the music but wasn't quite sure where she had heard it before. Noticing that several Venusian had quickly hurried to where the music might had began, she automatically followed them, curious as to what the music was played for. Leaving her generals behind and pushing her way through the crowd, she finally reached a wide field where her people had gathered around it. Upon seeing the dancers moving slowly according to the music instantly reminded her of another part of the tradition, one that she couldn't help the blushes from staining her cheeks.

Quatre was well aware that all Venusian were required to wear old garments in order to participate in the festival and not wanting to look like an outsider, he decided to wear a simple white button-up shirt and black pants, nothing too fancy or too simple. The clothing he chose doesn't exactly made him seemed like a Venusian but at least he blend in easily with his already blonde hair and bright blue eyes. 

He was truly amazed by how they had reconstructed the whole area to make it seemed like they were in the past. With the old fashioned stalls, games, clothing, ornaments and so-called legendary tales that trailed their business patterns, he could not doubt the Venusian were the riches in preserving their customs and traditions. He found them generous as well to strangers like himself, offering him a tour around the festival or a brief explanation about this particular event. The dances that he had seen earlier from the window had long ended, much to his disappointment but according to one of the Venusian, there would be more dances later on. 

After a long while of strolling from one stall to another, he heard a faint music began to play in the distant. The music was too slow to dance to and unlike the ones that he had heard on Earth before. Curious, he trotted to the direction where the melody might had began and reached a large field where he noticed most of the people had gathered around it. 

He had manage to push himself to the front of the crowd, eager to witness whatever event that was held. It seemed to be some sort of a dance performance. In the middle of the field where people gathered around it, were the obvious performers since the clothes they wore seemed to stand out the most. The dancers, which consisted of females, seemed to be in a trance. With half opened eyes and a seductive smile, they began to move rapturously in a slow manner, wrapping their see-through shawl behind their back briefly before unwrapping them again and tossing it on the ground. Aside from their beauty, the dance itself seemed to have a power of its own to draw the crowd. Quatre had never experience anything like this, not understanding the prospect of such event. He felt a little dizzy as he watched the girls danced, their bodies swaying to the rhythm swiftly. Their movements were slow and random at first but now they began to maintain their pace with one another, casting teasing glances at the crowd briefly, as though inviting the crowd to join them.

Quatre felt a little uneasy about the way the girls kept giving him the seductive smiles and teasing glances. He blushed when one of them winked at him, blowing him a kiss several times. She paused briefly to pull a rose from her hair and tossed it at him. Caught off guard by the sudden seduction, the rose hit him on the chest but he managed to grasp it before it fell. He was too numbed to respond to her, if it was even necessary as he watched with dazed eyes at the girls. They danced rapturously, capturing his gaze with the steady movements of their bodies. One of them slowly stopped several feet away from him, her long, slender hands reaching out in a manner of pleading. Quatre was taken aback by her and quickly shook his head politely as the realization hit him. He felt his cheeks grew warmer and he was trying furiously to stop blushing. What would the people think if they caught the well-mannered boy in this…somewhat erotic dance? The girl pouted lightly upon his hesitation before turning to another man and pulling him away from the crowd. Unlike Quatre, the man seemed eager to participate. He was immediately surrounded by the other girls as they began to sway around him, sliding their hands around him as they moved. 

Snapping out of his trance, Quatre staggered back and turned to leave, afraid that the pinkish color of his cheeks would consume his entire face if he continued to witness this event any longer. Pushing his way out and trying to avoid the gazes of the crowds, he did not notice a young maiden walking in his direction until he bumped into her. The girl cried out in surprise and when Quatre finally looked up to apologize, his mouth hung open in surprise upon the beauty in front of him. 

She was indeed a pure Venusian, Quatre could not doubt that as he studied her but he was instantly captured by her sapphire eyes that sparkled under the nightly sky. They were so deep, so innocent-like, so pure and he found himself lost in those pool of limpid blue. Her skin was flawless and seemed too delicate to touch, emitting its own radiant glow under the darken sky. Her sunshine hair was piled on her head, tendrils of the golden waterfall fell at the sides and Quatre had to resist the urge to feel how soft it was. He couldn't help wondering how does she looked like with her hair down, she must be even more beautiful than anyone could imagine. 

The girl seemed to be staring at him, too, caught in the moment as he was but she was the first to recover as she reluctantly lift her eyebrow and gave him a small smile. Suddenly realizing he had been staring at her for quite a while, he quickly stuttered, "Oh…I-I'm really sorry, miss…I didn't mean to stare…I mean, bump into you like that…Sorry, forgive me….Uh, a-are you okay? D-did I hurt you?" 

Minako blinked at him, pausing to digest the apology but upon hearing him stuttering as though he had committed a terrible crime, she couldn't help but giggled. His face, she had noticed earlier, were already red from what she figured the previous performance and now if it was possible, he was beyond flushed. Minako was used to this kind of reaction from her suitors and most royalties but despite her giggles and calmness dealing with the situation, there was something about his eyes that mesmerized her for an instant, something that prompted her heart to quicken its pace briefly when their gazes were locked. 

"Are you always this articulate?" she inquired, enjoying the effect her melodic voice had on him. Quatre chuckled nervously, raking his hair. Minako suddenly noticed he was clutching a rose and an instant realization hit her. "I see you had successfully acquired their invitation," she exclaimed, letting out a hearty laugh. He raised his eyebrows in puzzle. "Excuse me?" 

"The rose," she stated, pointing at the flower. "You were invited to dance, weren't you? I can see why you're all red." Quatre blushed even redder. He couldn't understand why he had been blushing so much in front of this maiden, he had never felt so intimidated by anyone before. Her face seemed to lit up when she smiled and the warm smile that graced her features was making his heart pounding faster than before. "Um, yeah, I guess…" Quatre murmured, smiling back shyly at her. "What kind of dance is that? The girls are very…" "Tempting?" she suggested, teasing him. Quatre chuckled lightly before continuing, "You could say that." Minako suddenly felt a little cautious. Was she actually flirting with this stranger? she wondered. She had never been so friendly towards guys before, except with Andrite but that was a different case. 

"You're not from Venus?" she inquired when she had digested his question. Quatre shook his head. "No, Earth," he answered. "I'm just visiting here for a couple of days. So, what is this dance actually about? I have read about your planet's customs but I don't think I have gain any information on this." Licking her lips, Minako began to explain, trying hard not blush herself, "The dance that you had participate in is well known as 'The Courtesan's Dance of Seduction'. It's an old custom of ours where the girls pick their partners to…fulfill their desires…you understand. Since it is the birth of a new Venus star, tonight is believed to hold the most power over love and lovers normally perform this tradition privately." She motioned briefly with her hand towards the flower he held. "As you may know, the rose is a common symbol of love in Venus. The dancers play their roles as courtesans and used this token to lure the chosen ones to dance with them. And maybe later, to their bed as well. However, this event is nothing more than a mere performance to display our heritage to others so don't be too intrigued by that prospect," Minako finished with a teasing wink at him. 

Quatre nodded in acknowledgement, blushing slightly at that statement. "I see," he uttered, glancing at the rose in his hand and wondered if it was possible for him to dispose the blooming flower without having this maiden thinking it as an insult. "But I did not participate in the dance, I'm not…used to so much attention especially from lovely maidens." "I suppose not," Minako commented, giggling slightly. "Seeing as how you can easily blush with simple comments or acts. Nevertheless, I am impress for not many people is able to resist. Especially the non-Venusian kinds…." 

A sudden fast paced song began to play, erupting a new round of applause by the audiences. Some of them began to dance, grabbing the nearest partner and started to waltz around the field. Minako and Quatre were quite startled by the abrupt commotion but it immediately died down as most of the audiences participated in the waltz. The music was well played, a mix of classical and pop which were a famous combination in this modern time in Venus. The swaying dancers had created a beautiful swirl of colors around the field, their dresses and long garments rustled on the ground. The displayed merriment and exciting atmosphere amazed Quatre for he had never seen such joyous occasion. Practically everyone was smiling and laughing, changing partners briefly at each certain pace and making new acquaintances. 

Swallowing hard and summoning his courage, he turned towards the maiden he had been talking to. Minako was gazing at the dancers, smiling and admiring the event. He wondered if she was seeing anyone, because it seemed almost impossible for someone as beautiful as her to not have an escort to the festival. However since she was alone at this very moment, he decided to take his chance. And it certainly wouldn't hurt to make a new friend. 

"Um, would you like to dance, my lady?" Quatre asked politely as he held the rose to her as a token of the proposal. Minako tore her gaze from the dancers to Quatre, a look of surprise graced her features. From his unexpected offer, Minako was deeply flattered by his gentle request. Somehow the thought of him asking her to dance made her heart pounded faster than its regular beat. His genuine expression was so innocent that she couldn't resist. Drawn to his probing sky blue eyes, she took the blooming rose and gave him her other hand in acceptance and smiled warmly. "I'd love to..."

Taking her hand, he slowly led her to the field and they began to waltz along with the other dancers. She gently placed the rose behind her ear, blending in perfectly with her attire. Minako could feel the heat of his body close to her and she had to restrain herself from letting out a sigh and resting her head on his shoulder. That would be very improper considering how they had just met. With his hand grasping hers and his other hand slid protectively around her waist, she felt so secure and warm in his touch. She couldn't understand why she was enjoying this man's company so much. He was a stranger, they had just met, barely knew each other's names and before she realized it, she had grown fond of his presence. When she was closed enough to him, she realized that his hair wasn't really blonde but platinum. Ironically as it was, she had never seen a hair like that before. 

Quatre smiled shyly when their eyes locked. He noticed she seemed to be studying him and that thought made him blush a little, silently hoping his appearance matched up to her standards even though she didn't seem like the type that cared much about first impressions. He suddenly felt the urge to get to know her, her personality, her background, every single details that involved her presence. The long trip to Venus seemed worthwhile after all…


	5. chapter 5

LONG VACATION 

By : Angel of Venus_l3

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Where is she?" Andrite demanded as he made his way through the crowd, his eyes searching frantically for a particular blonde hair maiden. "How could she just disappear like that within seconds? I can't believe I've lost her right under my nose, and there's two of us here. What kind of general am I turning out to be? I had lost her five seconds after we talk…" 

Alya barely acknowledged him as her eyes lazily swept across the field where most of the people began to dance. She clearly wasn't interested in searching for the girl, figuring this was one of her tricks to spend her time without Andrite's supervision. They had been searching for her for almost half an hour and Alya wished Andrite would just give up and let the princess had her own fun. How much trouble could one princess cause? 

Andrite muttered something inaudible under his breath. They stood a distant away from the crowd while their eyes focused at them. Everyone seemed to be in their own world, dancing and laughing happily with one another, enjoying their time. From Andrite's hard gaze towards the field where the dances were located, Alya figured he was worried that Minako might be with one of them. She tried to calm him down and persuaded him to have some fun of his own but he was too engrossed in his search to hear her words as he continuously complained to himself about his recklessness. 

Alya was about to try to convince Andrite again until something caught her eyes. From the very corner of the field, she could make out an interesting pair dancing gracefully among the crowd. Her view was gradually blocked by swaying dancers but Alya was convinced at what she had seen. She was startled to find Minako dancing happily with a young man and not just any young man but a Gundam pilot! That prospect surprised Alya a little as well as pleased her. She squinted her eyes to get a better view of which Gundam pilots she was dancing with and instantly recognized the Sandrock pilot. Alya then remembered of being informed of his arrival earlier this morning. Being a general and an officer in charge of the planet's communication system prompted her to be aware of the planet's current visitors. 

Alya smiled slightly as she watched him twirled the giggling princess. Despite his boldness, Quatre seemed rather shy as he pulled her back into his arms. They appeared to be enjoying themselves and Alya didn't want to interrupt this precious moment. She decided to remain ignorant to the whole matter, her mind quickly compiling some plans to lead Andrite some place else so that they wouldn't be discovered but it was too late for when Alya turned to the other man, Andrite's gaze was already fixed intensely at the dancing pair. 

"Um, Andy…" Alya called out softly, wondering what depravity he had stored in his mind at this very moment. "Andy, are you alright? You look like you're in a stroke there…" Andrite appeared shock at first before his features slowly revealed his anger. "What on Venus…." he stuttered through gritted teeth as he clenched his fists. Alya could almost feel the burning anger began to rise deep within him and she decided to try the soft approach, not wanting to make a scene. "Andy, relax," Alya murmured, trying to soothe the man by rubbing his arms gently. "She's just dancing, having fun like she's suppose to. What's the harm in that?" 

"The harm is that she had not only disobey my strict orders but completely broken every single rules I had applied earlier at this festival!" Andrite exclaimed angrily, staring daggers at the pair before tearing his gaze to Alya. "And look who she's dancing with? Non other than a Gundam pilot! When did he arrive here? Why wasn't I inform of his arrival?! You know you're responsible to let me know of the latest visitors here…" "I am only responsible in matters regarding current visitors whose main propose are to make business deals with our suppliers or to make an investment," Alya patiently answered, keeping her tone low so that no one could hear. "Quatre Winner didn't come here for any of those."

Andrite frowned at her. "What? Then why on Venus would he step his foot here? Wait, never mind, I don't care! I don't want him touching her anymore! He doesn't deserve to touch her with that pair of hands that are still stained with blood, he'll taint her purity! She's far too pure for him to even look at, for goddess's sake!" Andrite was about to stomp over there when Alya grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Andy, no!" she exclaimed firmly and seriously. Andrite glared back at her and yanked his arm away, annoyed at the interruption. "Why are you always…" "Because we don't want to make a scene right here at the festival!" she answered back harshly. "And knowing Mina, she couldn't care less about what people might think. She's already unhappy with your previous plans to change her schedules and you do realize she hardly even glance at you since we arrive, much less talk. Now do you really want to push her over the edge now when she's finally enjoying herself and forgetting briefly of her anger?" 

Andrite was about to protest but he changed his mind, immediately realized the sense in Alya's words. He glared briefly at her before returning his gaze towards the princess. The image was somehow painful to him, his fists tighten as his eyes burnt with jealousy of the Sandrock pilot. He watched as Minako giggled at something Quatre said while the blonde man himself chuckled. Minako had never smiled like that to me before, Andrite thought glumly.

Quatre began to feel more relax as they exchanged opinions about the festival and the Venusian traditions. Even though he had read the historical facts on Venus, Minako had offered a lot of insightful comments and thorough explanation about the traditional activities that were occasionally held. She was obviously well taught of her roots, he noted, impressed with her intelligence. He listened thoughtfully to her explanation, loving the sound of her soft, melodic voice flowing in his ears like a gentle tune. 

"…so in order to be blessed by the ancestors, the traditional royal wedding is normally held at the sacred chapel of the Magellan castle," Minako was saying. "It's not necessary to include the whole kingdom nor the generals in the ceremony, as long as the royal couples are there to make their vows." "Even without the King and Queen's presence?" Quatre inquired. Minako nodded affirmatively. "Yes," she replied. "Because the vows are only exchange between the two lovers secretly, no one is suppose to interfere. The chapel is rather small anyway so we couldn't possibly have any guest there." "I see…"

Quatre nodded in acknowledgement, giving her a warm smile after that. For a moment, they were silence, quietly studying one another's appearances. Both of them were reluctant to exchange partners, unable to even let go of each other's hands. Quatre had somehow managed to control his blushes and he was began to get accustomed to being surrounded by such beauty. Minako couldn't help noticing how his eyes were fixed intensely with hers, prompting her to look away every once in awhile. She had managed to hide her tinge of blushes from visibility but that doesn't stop her heart from pounding madly in her ribcage every time when he smiled at her, which was rather often. However, she still enjoyed being the center of his attention. None of her suitors had attained her approval nor her interest in any particular subjects but this stranger had successfully received her undivided attention without even trying. She was quite amazed for that.

"Who are you?" Minako murmured before she could stop herself. The sudden sound of her voice seemed to break his trance and when the question had registered in his mind, he couldn't help letting out a chuckle. "I can't believe we have been talking for the past hour without introducing ourselves," Quatre said, his eyes twinkling in amusement at the realization. "I'm Quatre Raberba Winner." That caught her off guard and she gaped at him. "Excuse me?" Minako blurted out, unsure whether she had heard his name correctly or not. "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name. You are…." She let her sentence trailed, waiting for him to fill it in. He didn't seem to notice her slight hesitation upon that matter and casually repeated, "Quatre Raberba Winner."

Minako just stared at him, her mouth hung open in a small 'o' when the name had finally registered. Quatre Raberba Winner! her mind screamed as her heart thumped wildly in her ribcage. Quatre Raberba Winner, the infamous Gundam pilot and Caroline's fiance! She was too shocked to reply, not expecting the sudden turn of events at all. Her mind began to race at the possibilities that he might had discovered her true identity as the royal princess but those thoughts were immediately dismissed for he did not give her any sign that he knew who she really was. She was delighted to be associated with her secret idol for years but another part of her still carried doubts over that prospect. The current events happening within that one day were almost too good to be true. First, her meeting with Caroline who offered her an opportunity to stay with a Gundam pilot and now, she had made acquaintance with the same Gundam pilot she was suppose to live with!

It took Minako a moment to realize that her heart had quicken its pace, almost at the verge of hurting her chest. Quatre's appearance nor his polite behavior hardly reflected his cunning skills and involvement in the previous terrifying events of war, which was why the discovery of his identity was almost too much to take. Plus, the thought of a Gundam pilot visiting her planet had never occurred to her before, much less having the chance to meet them. 

Quatre began to feel a little uneasy upon her stare. She seemed evidently surprise, despite her attempts to conceal it and Quatre could almost tell why. From their previous discussions and insights, he realized she was highly educated in matters regarding the planets' politics and economic standards, which obviously indicated that she should recognize some of the famous world leaders and politicians. And judging by her reaction towards his name alone, he couldn't doubt that she knew him. Whether it was through his involvement in the war as the Gundam pilot or his efforts to protect peace as the heir of the Winner family, he couldn't be sure but his main fear would be that she was bothered by the fact that he was involved in a huge massacre of killings along with the other pilots. Even after all these years and the peace that was attained, not everyone, especially outsiders from Earth, had agreed with the pilot's course of actions and the amount of destruction caused by their dangerous mobile suits were more well known than the outcome of their actions.

"I…suppose you have heard of me before…" Quatre trailed softly, searching her blue eyes for any truth that mutedly displayed her thoughts on that matter. His voice however, seemed to bring her back to reality and her radiant face suddenly broke into a smile which caught Quatre off guard. "Of course, who haven't?!" she cried in excitement but when she realized how loud she was, she blushed and quickly continued in a lower tone, "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect to meet a Gundam pilot here…I mean, there's never any news about your arrival before and even if there was, you are highly expected to be in the parliament, not at a festival. Are the other pilots here, too? Can I meet them?" Quatre blinked as he tried to digest her sudden excitement towards the particular subject. He couldn't doubt her sincerity and grinned as he noticed her curious stare, waiting for his response like an innocent child. 

"I'm sorry," he replied, chuckling lightly. "I came here alone so the chance of meeting them are quite slim. Besides, we are no longer a pilot in war and I doubt that they wanted to be labeled as the 'Gundam pilots' now that peace had been attained. But if you like, I can send them your regards…" "Please do," Minako said eagerly, her eyes twinkling in appreciation. "And I would really like to know more about you and your comrades, Mr. Winner." Quatre chuckled. "Please, call me 'Quatre'. I had more than enough formalities at work, I do not need anymore when I'm trying to relax.." Minako suppressed a snicker, knowing well enough what he meant. No one had ever addressed her other than 'Your Highness' or 'Princess', except for Alya but she only addressed her privately, not wanting to encourage such impoliteness among the occupants of the palace. 

After awhile, the music suddenly became louder and the pair realized how difficult it would be for them to talk. So Quatre gently led Minako away from the crowd, still holding her hand firmly, as though afraid that she might run away from his side if he dared to let go. Quatre began to tell her about his living arrangements with his friends while they walked aimlessly on the dock where most of the stalls were located. Minako was listening intently until she caught sight of Andrite in the distant from the crowd. He seemed to be in a heated discussion with Alya and obviously did not notice her presence from afar. Yet. Although still within view, she and Quatre were quite far from them and their sight was gradually blocked by the dancing crowds. 

However, she refused to take any chances. Not wanting this day to end that quickly, Minako casually turned to Quatre, her face concealing evidence of her scheme, "Do you mind if we take a short walk at the beach? It's getting rather stuffy here. And besides, what kind of fun festivity would this be without stargazing?" "Of course," Quatre replied thoughtfully. "But I thought stargazing is normally done past midnight and the best place to stargaze is usually at the countryside…" "It doesn't necessarily have to be the right way," Minako giggled, dragging him further away from the crowded festival and trotting toward the beach. "We can still get a better view here. I'd like to show you that Venus wasn't well known as the brightest planet for nothing, you know. It doesn't matter where you gaze at them, the stars are always bright and can be seen clearly almost anywhere." 

From then, Minako led Quatre to the beach, eager to get away from the festival but at the same time, anxious to show the Gundam pilot how beautiful Venus was. There were several Venusian clustered around the beach, apparently sharing the same idea and most of them were couples, no doubt. Quatre could feel the immediate change of atmosphere around him. Unlike at the festival, the atmosphere was so much soothing with the gentle evening breeze, the sound of the waves washed over the white sand and the sight of lovers holding hands as they walked along the shoreline gave away a dramatic effect of romance. 

Quatre secretly envied them for the security and happiness they shared, not knowing that the maiden next to him was holding the same perspective as he was. The sight somehow reminded him of Caroline, all of a sudden. He couldn't doubt that he and his fiancé could never have what the couples shared, even the smallest pleasures in life would be almost too much for her to give. Even though he longed for a companion, one that could promise him the security and contentment he craved, he could never admit of that particular need. Not because he was too proud of himself or held so much pride but he just didn't see the necessity to. 

"Hey, what are you thinking?" the gentle voice of his lovely companion broke his thoughts, prompting him to glance at her. "Huh? Oh, sorry," Quatre sheepishly apologized. He didn't realize that they were still holding hands and were now walking aimlessly along the beach until he felt a brush of her hair on his arm. That, as usual, and the realization of how close they were to one another sent more tingles of electricity on his skin that later on traveled to his entire body. 

"So what was it on your mind?" Minako urged casually. Quatre hesitated but then replied with a smile, "Oh, nothing important, just thinking about home. Hey, I just remember, you haven't told me your name yet…" Minako's smile almost instantly faded and her heart began to quicken its pace as she contemplated how to answer that. She had forgotten that she was suppose to hold the identity of Caroline Calvert now, not the Venusian princess.

"Um…" "Don't tell me you don't have one…" Quatre joked, sensing her hesitation. "Come on, tell me, who are you?" Minako bit her bottom lip, still uncertain how far he should know but after a brief moment of contemplation, she finally came to a conclusion.. It wasn't exactly a solution but at least he wouldn't pry anymore info out of her that would lead to further complications. "I'm sorry, Quatre, I don't easily give out my name to strangers," she murmured. 

Quatre failed to hide his disappointment but eventually nodded. "I understand," he replied softly but casually enough. "But you knew my name, wouldn't that at least terminate the fact that we hardly know anything about each other?" "Well, since you and your friends are well known in the universe as the Gundam pilots…I guess," Minako replied teasingly, winking at him. "But you'll eventually find out my name, Quatre, no doubt about that. Just wait for a couple of days, perhaps weeks even, then you'll know." He couldn't help noting that she was hiding something. Her eyes twinkling in amusement when she noted his puzzlement. He wanted to pry further but something in her eyes held her back, urging him to trust her. And he decided he would.

"Hey, this spot is perfect," Minako suddenly exclaimed, stopping her tracks. Quatre was aware that they were quite far from where the other people had gathered and apparently they were he only ones here. However despite how secluded the area was, he felt relax and quietly sat down next to Minako. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Minako was staring at the immense sky, her eyes seemed to be searching for something.

"So, what are we looking at?" Quatre prompted. "The 'Aphroditean', of course," was her only answer. He looked at her in puzzle. "Huh?" "The 'Aphroditean'," Minako repeated. Noticing the puzzle look on his face, Minako giggled and said, "I guess you're not familiar with the Venusian constellation." "Iie.." Quatre sheepishly answered. Minako then grabbed a couple of stones nearby and placed them across from Quatre, arranging them in some sort of pattern. He looked at her blankly.

When she finished, her sparkling eyes seemed to challenge him as she inquired, "Can you find this exact same pattern of stars in the sky?" Quatre reluctantly gazed above, searching for the particular design in the sky. There were so many stars, it was almost impossible to find one with the exact same pattern. A faint streak of silver decorated against the sky, contrasting with the bitter darkness and bringing out the beauty of night. The stars were twinkling brightly in various shapes, he suddenly realized. He glanced back at the design on the sand and compared it with the ones in the sky. His gaze finally locked on one particular pattern. True enough, the arrangement was similar to Minako's. Even the position of the sizes of stones were similar to the brightness of the stars. 

"Is that it?" he asked, pointing slightly to the right where the particular cluster of stars were located. Minako smiled at him. "Yep," she replied affirmatively. Then she slowly trailed her finger on the sand, dragging lazily around the stones and connecting them to create a clearer view of her drawing. At one glance, Quatre recognized the design. "That's the sign of Venus," he murmured, amazed. "Exactly," she stated. "It's known as the 'Aphroditean' or commonly as 'Aphrodite's Love'. It's name after our Goddess of Love and Beauty, Lady Aphrodite. According to legend, this star was actually born on the same night Aphrodite was married to Adonis. Thus, it's believe that the birth of this star had some sort of power over love and a guarantee to an everlasting relationship if people are married on this night." "But Aphrodite's marriage to Adonis did not last." "Oh, Quatre, it's only a legend," Minako replied thoughtfully, before gazing longingly at the sky. "True, it didn't last but they did love each other very much. After all, Lady Aphrodite did wept upon Adonis's death which proved that their marriage had been fruitful. We actually missed the birthing process.."

"Pardon me?" Quatre inquired, raising his eyebrows and stared at her in amazement. "I meant, we missed the birthing process of the constellation," Minako elaborated with giggles. "What were you thinking?" Quatre felt his cheeks grew slightly warm at her teasing before slowly joined in her giggles. "It's really beautiful," Minako commented. "You can easily separate it from the other stars because the constellation stand out the most, being one of the brightest pattern in the sky. But as the night grow old, the stars get dimmer and will slowly faded by dawn. You won't be able to see it again until next year."

"Sou desuka…" "Well, it's possible for it to happen twice a year but very, very rare and in the sixteen years of my life, I've never encounter it before," Minako finished with a smile, glancing at Quatre. "So you're sixteen?" he inquired gently, a small smile tugging the corner of his mouth. Minako stared at him, suddenly realizing of the given info and pretended to be upset. "Yeah, I'll be seventeen soon but I'm not telling you when," she finished with a childish pout and shifted her gaze to the sky. Quatre let out a small laugh. 

Suddenly, his laughter was cut short when his cell phone rang. He jerked slightly when he felt the vibration and reluctantly fished out his cell phone from his pocket. "Uh, gomen," he apologized and slowly rose to his feet. After he stood a safe distant from her hearing range, he answered the call, "Hello?" "Hey, Kat! Just call to know how you're doing. How's it going, buddy?" Duo's familiar yet annoying voice greeted him. Quatre could make out loud music blaring in the background and muffled laughter that was later followed by several crashes. "Duo," Quatre exclaimed, stunned. "Um, fine…everything's fine here. What time is it at home?" "Oh, 4.35 in the morning." Quatre's frown deepen. "Why are you up then? And what are those noises in the back?" 

"Oh, the guys and I are just having a small party…" "You call this small?!" Wufei's obvious voice yelled from the background. "You call a party consisted of one hundred and twenty eight guests small?!! That so-called party was suppose to end fourteen hours ago and turned down that *%#$#@$^ stereo down, for god's sake!!" Quatre could only wondered the chaos that ensued in his house at this moment and shuddered at that thought. "Duo, where's Trowa and Heero?" he asked, almost fearing the answer. Those brave men… "I'm not sure, probably somewhere in the mansion," Duo replied, grinning slyly. "Drunk. Asleep. With some nice ladies…" 

Minako watched as Quatre talked on the phone and had his back to her. He seemed to be in a heated conversation with the person on the other line and his feature appeared to be in shock most of the time. Suddenly, she heard a faint but harsh whisper from afar. At first she ignored the sound but when the voice got clearer and calling out her name, she turned in surprise and found Alya in the distant, almost well hidden in the shadow with a wild look of desperation on her face. Andrite was nowhere to be seen so Minako assumed she had managed to sneak away from the general as well. She was frantically waving to Minako, obviously signaling for her to return. Minako shook her head but Alya insisted, stomping her leg in a manner to emphasize on that subject. 

Minako reluctantly glanced back at Quatre, the blonde pilot was still talking to the phone, oblivious to the other muted conversation. She felt so heavy to part with him but seeing the stern yet desperate look on Alya's face, she reluctantly rose to her feet as quietly as possible and sprinted toward the general, however not before she left him a little something to remember her by. 

"…don't worry, I strictly told them to keep away from your study room, promise," Duo was saying on the phone. Quatre hid a sigh. Why does that sound so unappealing? "Alright, fine," Quatre relented. "Um, I'm actually in the middle of something so would it be alright if we continue this later?" "You dog! You got a girl there, don't you?!" Duo cried, almost a little too excited. "Not really…" Quatre let his sentence trailed as his eyes searched for his companion but she seemed to have disappeared. 

The phone still attached to his ear, he went back to their previous spot and searched frantically for the maiden. However, what he found replacing his lovely companion was the blooming rose which he had given her earlier, the only evidence of her company. Gently, he picked it up and studied the flower. "Hey, Kat! Kat, you're still there?" "I'm going to have to call you back, Duo. Bye." He slipped the phone back to his pocket and stared at the flower. Smiling ruefully, he then glanced at the stars and not knowing why, silently made a wish. The stars twinkled brightly, seemingly to hold so much promises to secret wishes that were made.

Somehow he had a pleasant feeling, he would be seeing her again. He was already looking forward to it.


	6. chapter 6

LONG VACATION 

By : Angel of Venus_l3

**CHAPTER SIX**

"Where have you been?!" Andrite demanded at her as soon as they got into the limo. "We've been searching for you for god knows how long! Where did you disappeared to?!"

Minako could only manage a shrug, refused to lead him any further to her encounter with the Gundam pilot. He had been patiently holding back his outburst when Alya had brought her back until they were safely in the limo and most importantly, safely out of the hearing range of other people.

"Gomen, I just got carried away with the festivities," she answered, not meeting his gaze. Andrite sighed exasperatedly. "You could at least have the decency to let us know where you were going," he said harshly at her.

"Would you have let me if I do?" Minako countered, her eyes locked with his sharply. 

"Alright, I think that's enough excitement for one night," Alya said, hoping this conversation wouldn't lead to a serious argument. The fact that Minako had been associating with a certain Gundam pilot and combined with Andrite's hot temper were more than enough to provoke a heated argument from the two parties. 

"Who is that man you were dancing with?" Andrite demanded, obviously refused to let the matter settle. "Don't deny it, who is he?!" 

Minako shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Andrite seemed to interrogate her like she was a criminal and as much as she hated to admit, she was getting a little scared of him. Especially when he was beyond angry at her. She wondered if he was just plain pretending not to know Quatre considering he had a met the Earth's well known politicians but she wasn't about to ask. 

"I don't know," Minako lied, daring to stare back at Andrite in the eye. "Since I refuse to let him know who I am, he said it'll be fair if I didn't know who he is either. Why are you so worked up like this? We were only dancing, just like what you and I used to do." 

"That's different," Andrite snapped back. "It is quite common for a princess and a general to share a dance at a formal ball but to share a dance with a…a…stranger at a festival is absolutely absurd. He could have hurt you, for all you. His intention isn't as noble as the princes whom you have danced with before."

"He couldn't have gotten away with it, Andy," Alya said harshly. "They were completely surrounded by people and you knew VERY WELL she wouldn't be harmed…" 

Andrite cast her a brief glare, shutting her up instantly and turned to Minako. "So where were you?" he interrogated. Minako grudgingly replied, "After the dance, we separated and I went back to the stall to look for you but I guess I got lost on the way."

"There, you see?!!" Andrite accused. "You got lost on the way and I'm actually surprised that no one had tried to hit on you…they didn't, did they?"

"No." 

"Good. And if Alya didn't find you in time, I don't know what might happen to you…." 

"Yes, Andrite, I am that lucky," Minako muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Okay," Alya exclaimed, slapping her palms together in an obvious attempt to change the subject. "Since we got that matter settled, let's talk about tomorrow's schedule, shall we?" 

"Sure, but I doubt I'll listen," Minako said with a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, it's been a tiring day, with me getting lost and everything so if it's okay, I just want to rest for awhile. Without further interrogation." Andrite frowned as he watched Minako slumped on the seat and peered longingly out the window, deep in thought as a small smile tugged her lips. 

That particular sight somehow bothered him.

Quatre sipped his tea, immediately feeling the warm substance easing his mind. He placed the cup down and glanced at the flight ticket next to it, studying it. Those three days seemed to pass by so quickly, he thought. Especially that wonderful evening. He felt heavy to part with this planet, more importantly, heavy to part with his companion that had accompanied him for the first few hours of his stay. 

After their encounter that night, he had searched for her ever since then, spending most of his time at the beach. He did visited several other places, though but the only thing that interested him at that particular moment was meeting that maiden again. He was disappointed when he failed to locate her and almost called off his flight so that he was given more time for his search. 

However, remembering the huge amount of paperwork and important meetings that had generated over his absences, he decided otherwise. Besides, he still had matters regarding his 'fiancée' to settle. It amazed him that the troubling matter barely crossed his mind for the past two days and the main reason for his brief vacation here seemed pointless now. 

"This is the last call for flight MP553 to Earth, the last call." A deep sigh tore his lips as he realized he wouldn't be seeing the maiden again. Grabbing his flight ticket and luggage, he slowly made his way out of the lounge room. "The last call for flight MP553 to Earth, passengers should now be onboard." 

Minako anxiously counted the days till her vacation. She had followed her daily schedules obediently and appeared genuinely excited for the past few days, chatting happily with anyone who dared to speak to her. Alya had questioned her about Quatre the previous day but Minako refused to indulge anymore information about him than what she had told Andrite. Andrite, as usual, had been watching over her like a hawk, making sure each phone calls she received wasn't from a certain Gundam pilot and every time she went out, he sent at least five of his best bodyguards to monitor her movements and personally made sure she hadn't been in contact or meeting with Quatre. Minako was well aware of what he was doing but she couldn't be bothered by it anymore. 

She visited Caroline regularly each morning before dawn to learn more about Quatre and Caroline's background. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to pull off Caroline's behavior at all. It was rather difficult for her considering she wasn't please with Caroline's attitude herself. At least she fit in her lavish lifestyle well, having no problem with the luxuries provided and daily shopping routines. On their last day together, the girls had went through their plan several times and exchanged phone numbers, in case of emergencies that might occurred during her stay at Quatre's. 

Minako practically squealed in delight when she woke up that morning and was hit with the realization that today was the starting of her month long of vacation. After her bath and breakfast in her room, she hurried downstairs with her luggage and met with her generals in the dining hall.

"So are we ready to go?" she greeted happily, failing to contain her excitement.

"You bet," Alya exclaimed, giving her a thumbs-up. "Let's go, I wouldn't want to miss our flight." 

"That would be impossible, your flight isn't until five hours later," Andrite mumbled, following them outside. Daniel was already in the limo, having to carry their luggage earlier.

Alya quickly got into the limo along with Daniel and as Minako was about to follow her general, Andrite gently pulled her away, motioning his head to the side. Minako reluctantly followed him and when they stood a slight distant from the limo and out of Alya's hearing range, she looked at him questioningly.

"Here," he said, handing her a tiny package in a brown paper. It looked rather plain for a gift but she was more surprised at his generosity. "I thought it might be a suitable gift for your departure. Think of it as a peace offering if you want." Minako smiled at him and took it.

"Wow, I never thought I'd be getting any gifts from you other than on my birthday and on Christmas." Suddenly noticing Andrite was still staring at her, she continued teasingly, "Andrite, I'll be going for only a month, I'm sure you can find someone to endure your tortures…" 

Before Minako could react, he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against hers, prompting a startle gasp from her. The wide eyed princess instantly pulled back, too numbed to say anything. Her cheeks were flushed and she had to look away. Andrite didn't appear at all surprise by her reaction. When Minako dared to look at him, she noticed that he looked so different, unlike the usual stern exterior he always wore during his duties. For the first time, he seemed to let his guard down and looked so vulnerable and unusually warm to her. 

"I'll see you when you get back, princess," he murmured gently with a small smile. His features appeared softer then, startling her again at his sudden boyishness. 

"Princess! Let's go, we're going to miss our flight!!" Alya yelled from the limo. 

"A-arigato, Andrite, ja," she said, quickly turning away from him and trotted towards the limo. Andrite watched silently as the limo sped away from his view, along with his princess.

"For a second there, I thought Andy change his mind about letting you go," Alya said. Minako shrugged, fiddling with the tiny package. Her mind was still racing at the thought of their brief kiss and she had to resist the urge to touch her lips. She could still feel his lips on hers, brushing gently for consent and if she hadn't resist, he probably would have pulled her into a deep kiss. She had never thought Andrite would perform such a bold act on her, a princess that he highly respected.

"What did he say to you?" 

"Oh, h-he told me to have fun," she hesitantly replied, concealing her blushes with a smile. "Very unlike of him. And he gave me this as a peace offering." 

"Well, open it," Alya urged. "It's not everyday you get a gift from a general who hardly shop for his own wardrobe. Come on, open it."

Minako reluctantly tore the wrapping, almost fearing whatever item this gift bear would mutedly declare his feelings towards her. Once the wrappings were undone, she stared at the item in complete awe. There on her lap, half wrapped by the brown paper was a heart shaped pendant with a Venus sign engraved in the middle, the exact same necklace she had her eye on at the festival.

"Oh man," Duo groaned as soon as he entered the office. As highly and dreadfully expected, stacks of paperwork took half of his desk while the other half was covered with files and other documents. Even his coffee table was filled with folders and thick reports for references. 

That sight disturbed him terribly as it seemed to promise him long, terrifying hours of writing and rewriting reports, filing and sorting out documents and rechecking his subordinates' errors in the process. Again. He much rather risked his life to complete dangerous missions but since Heero, the Lieutenant General of the Preventers Forces was still sore over his recent 'experiences' due to Duo's outrageous party several days ago, had deliberately pushed most of his duties to Duo in an attempt to retaliate. Wufei, as expected, had been very, very supportive of Heero's prompt action. 

At first, Duo had considered this was much better than Heero's previous methods that usually involved violence and weapons in hands but since Relena had taught him that violence wasn't the solution, Heero had resolved to a new yet still disturbing method. 

Much to Duo's dismay and his friends' delight, the method appeared rather effective because Duo was seriously considering to end his wild parties and outrageous pranks. Seeing that sight in his office practically everyday since the party made Duo realized how much he missed having Heero's gun pointing at his head, followed by the usual death threats. 

"Dang that guy," Duo muttered, slumping in his chair. "If he keeps this up, I'm gonna have blood pressure higher than Relena's stacks of documents." 

Trowa entered the office in time to hear Duo's last comment and smirked at his friend. "You're beginning to look like Quatre," he stated with a wry smile, walking over to the desk. 

Duo sighed heavily. "Well, I don't think I deserve this, Tro-man!" he cried, giving his friend a wild look of desperation. Trowa shrugged.

"Haven't we gone through this?"

"But I don't deserved this!" Duo whined. "I don't see why Heero needs to get his knickers in a twist! I got the fire perfectly under control…" 

"After it burned half of his room."

"But that's Wufei's fault," Duo accused stubbornly. "It was his meditation candles and it wasn't me who brought it to Heero's room…" 

"Duo, don't get me started on my problems," Trowa said in a warning tone. "We've left you for only half an hour to return the rented videos and get some food and already you've managed to trash half of the mansion. I'm still trying to figure out how Heero woke up in the storeroom with writings on his face and his shirt inside out…" 

Duo looked thoughtful, trying to recall back that wonderful moment and then his face slowly broke into a grin. "Oh yeah…" he quipped, grinning from ear to ear. "That was a pretty good sight. Definitely worth the chase around the mansion." 

Trowa shook his head and placed a disc right across from Duo, who looked at him questioningly in return.

"For reference," Trowa answered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Heero isn't satisfied with your last report and demand immediate corrections on it. Submit it again next week." Trowa paused and scanned the surrounding of Duo's stuffy office. "I've to admit," he murmured. "At this rate, you'll be living a life of Quatre Winner any day now."

"Speaking of that devil," Duo muttered, flipping through a file. "He hardly contacts us since he moved out a week ago, I wonder how bad he's taking all this…"

"Well, since he was reluctant to talk about his engagement or his vacation…" Trowa trailed, looking thoughtful. "I'm thinking it's THAT bad." 

"Here we are!" Minako declared brightly, beaming as she glanced around. Alya frowned at her.

"We're at the lounge," she retorted flatly. "And we still have three hours and a half till we get on the plane." 

Minako merely grinned. They were now seating at the room specially reserved for her and having another light breakfast and some refreshments. The room was secluded but still huge for three persons to occupy and as expected, three guards were placed outside, under Andrite's orders. Minako had forcefully pushed Andrite and his gift from her mind, determined to enjoy her vacation to its full extent. 

"I still don't understand why you insisted on arriving at the airport a few hours earlier than scheduled," Daniel said, sipping his coffee. 

Ironically, he had never been assigned to guard Minako before, despite being one of the most capable generals in the palace. His main duties consisted mostly of conducting extensive trainings for the armies and creating battle strategies but through his serious involvements, there was no doubt about his capabilities and he was one of Andrite's most trusted generals. Which was why Minako was placed under his protection. Unlike Andrite however, he was a pure Venusian with longish, golden hair and bright cerulean eyes. Minako didn't know him that well nor had an actual conversation with him as he spent most of his time extensively training the armies. 

"Well, it doesn't hurt to be extra punctual," Minako replied in unison, flipping through a magazine. "I just like to get a head start on my vacation." 

And the earliest flight to Earth, she added silently to herself. She chatted with Daniel briefly as he seemed to be more interested in talking to Alya about his current trainings. A topic that Minako had the least bit interest to discuss during her 'month-off' from duties.

After a good two hours later, she took a quick glimpse of her wristwatch and gave a wry smile. Yep, it's definitely time, she noted. However, she conceal her excitement behind her magazine, pretending to enjoy the written world of the latest economic issues. As if on cue, there was a sudden knock on the door. 

"Come in," Minako said sweetly, looking up and found a stewardess entering the room. She politely greeted Minako before turning to Alya.

"I'm sorry, Miss Alya but there's a call for you. It's rather urgent." Alya frowned. 

"That's odd. From who?" 

"Why don't you just take the call?" Minako urged, her tone sounding almost exasperate. "We still have time, maybe Andrite changed his mind about letting me go." 

After Alya left with the stewardess to answer the call, Minako tossed the magazine aside and let out a heavy sigh. Casually, she rose to her feet and walked over to the door. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Daniel asked, his tone meant business. 

Minako bravely looked at him, giving him her best casual impression she could muster with and replied, "The restroom. Care to join me?" 

"As a matter of fact, why not?" he challenged, rising to his feet and followed her. Minako had expected that from Andrite's close friend and allowed him to assist her. At least until she reach her destination. 

Minako was about to enter until she noticed Daniel had stopped his tracks. As expected. She deliberately turned to him and inquired with a small pout, "You're not coming?" 

Daniel smirked at her. "I doubt Andrite appreciate me monitoring you on that part, my lady. I try not to abuse any of his privilege." 

Minako was stunned at his reply, feeling her cheeks grew warm and forced herself to turn away. As soon as she entered the restroom, she found Caroline by the sink, busily applying a fresh coat of red lipstick on her lips. 

When she noticed Minako's presence from the mirror, she quickly turned and demanded, "What took you so long? You're not the only one who have a flight to catch up to, you know…"

"What are you talking about?" Minako protested, quickly untying half of her ponytail and tossing her red ribbon to Caroline. "Everything's right on time. I hope your boyfriend can hold Alya up for awhile, though."

"No problem," Caroline assured her, immediately slipping out of her jacket and giving it to the princess. "He's quite a chatter. Although I still don't understand why you brought your friends along, only to go through all this trouble so that they won't have to accompany you on this trip. Why don't you just tell them you're going to Earth?"

"Um, they're sort of planning to go to Pluto and they've been looking forward to it so much, I didn't want to hurt their feelings," Minako blabbed half truthfully as she begin to unbutton her cardigan. "They're very protective, too and in fact, one of them is standing outside right now."

Caroline paused and glanced briefly at the entrance. "You mean, that guy?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Boy, they are protective. What's with you Venusian anyway?" 

"Let's just focus on the plan, shall we? It's going well so far but the best is yet to come…"

Daniel leaned heavily against the wall, silently waiting for Minako. He seriously didn't consider the possibility that Minako would run out on him and Alya, the Venusian princess was too eager for this vacation to do anything to spoil it. Even Andrite's action to reduce the amount of bodyguards clearly indicated that he trusted the princess. However, Daniel simply couldn't understand why it was necessary for Andrite to place the princess under him. Despite his strict personality, he was actually more lenient when it came to anything else other than trainings, considering his skills were confined in the battlegrounds and planning out strategies. 

Daniel was deep in thought about the latest training for his soldiers when Minako suddenly came out hastily from the restroom but instead of heading towards Daniel, she quickly rushed to the opposite direction and instantly left the lounge, avoiding Daniel's gaze all the while. As soon as she pushed past the door, she quickly began to ran, not even turning back. 

"Hey!" Daniel cried, obviously stunned at her sudden leave and quickly followed her.

From the see-through glass door, he could see the princess rushing ahead , blending in almost perfectly among the crowd. His stunned mind reeled in disbelieved as he watched her slowly disappearing from his view.   
"Daniel!" Alya exclaimed with a frown, approaching him from behind. "What are you doing? Aren't you suppose to guard Minako? Where is she?"

"Playing hooky from her vacation," Daniel muttered, trying to keep his calm and anger under control. Without waiting for her reply, he quickly took off in search for the princess, pushing his way through the crowd furiously. Alya stared at him in dumbfounded but she quickly snapped her dazed mind and run after Daniel. 

"Wait, Daniel, you lost her?! How can you lose her?" Alya demanded as they pushed their way through the crowd. "You're Andy's best guy for this job!"

"I'll tell you," Daniel muttered, his eyes almost narrowing to slits upon the princess's trickery. "Right after we strap her to the plane!" 

Minako slowly peered out from the restroom door and smiled in satisfaction. Even though she felt a little uncomfortable wearing Caroline's skimpy clothing, a red sleeveless top that revealed her tummy and a white miniskirt, she was glad Daniel didn't realize it wasn't her he was chasing after. At least Caroline had brought along a jacket that Minako was definitely going to use to cover her exposed figure. She just hoped that Caroline was able to keep Daniel and Alya in a wild goose chase for half an hour more. 

Snickering silently to herself, she quickly grabbed her bag and left the lounge as well, heading straight to Caroline's private shuttle. 


	7. chapter 7

LONG VACATION 

By : Angelofvenus_l3

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"I'm sorry, Miss Alya but we can't possibly halt the whole airline system just because a friend of yours might be in one of those shuttles," the officer in charged claimed. "We can, however make an announcement to locate your friend or get some of our securities to."

"No!" Daniel interrupted stubbornly. "Think of some other way, I don't want this to cause a riot. Things are bad enough already."

Alya hid a weary sigh. They had been searching the princess for hours and their plane had already left awhile ago but there was still no sign of the princess. Despite the fact that Alya was his supervisor, the officer was getting rather tired of putting up with their demands and his tone was getting firmly by the minute, indicating that his patience was thinning as well. His schedule was hectic enough especially recently due to the holidays. The airport was crowded than usual with traveling Venusians and visitors, not to mention the technical difficulties and other various problems that would usually arise at a time like this. He certainly didn't need anymore 'passengers' on his tail.

"Sorry, Anthony, we just had a really rough day," Alya said apologetically.

"So does a lot of people," the officer mumbled under his breath but Alya chose to ignore that and added, "Do you think you can give us a minute?"

"Gladly, Miss Alya," he stated and rose to his feet.

After he left the office, Alya turned to Daniel who looked deep in thought. She wasn't exactly sure how to handle this problem and she doubted Daniel knew how either. It was embarrassing, though for a well-trained general officer to be tricked by a sixteen-year-old girl. Not that it was the first time. 

Seeing that Daniel didn't seem like he had anything to say nor provide any suggestion on how to deal with this problem, she let out another sigh and leaned heavily against the chair. Suddenly, Daniel leaned forward for the phone on the table but Alya instantly grabbed the phone before Daniel could reach it.

"What are you doing?" she demanded in shock.

Daniel frowned at her. "What does it look like?" he stated flatly. "I'm calling Andrite."

"No!" Alya cried, giving him a wild look of desperation. And a tinge of fear. "We can't report this yet. You know how Andy feels about this."

"I don't think the princess has ever done this before."

"But if we tell him about this, it's going to leave a bad impression on our behalf."

Daniel rolled his eyes as he leaned back. "For obvious reasons, Alya, I think that should be the least of our worries. I fear for the princess's safety, if she is indeed planning on traveling alone and we can't afford to have her do so."

"Which is why we have to take responsibility for our mistakes. Let's just figure a way to.to.locate Mina and.and then we'll figure something out from there."

"And what are 'we' planning to do to achieve that? As far as we know, her name is clearly unlisted in the computer which tells us she didn't or at least, have not boarded a plane yet. And if she went under different names, we're going to get in some serious trouble on HER behalf."

Alya hesitated. "Well, we have to try something. Maybe Anthony can get some of his subordinates to help out, you know, like identifying the princess or report this matter to the communication center or something."

Daniel was against the idea, seeing as it would get too many people involved but Alya had insisted and she seemed determined to go through it so he reluctantly agreed. Even though reporting this matter to Andrite seemed so appropriate and the reasonable thing to do, he had to figure a way to fix it first. Maybe if they were lucky, they could find the princess and still go for her vacation. Maybe.

"So it's settle then," Alya was saying. "And if we don't hear anything from her in two days, then we'll tell Andy."

"Alright," Daniel agreed. "And in the mean time, I propose we start working on our resume. I heard there's an opening in the royal kitchen."

Quatre flipped through the accounts, not even focusing on what he was reading but just a mere scan of the figures and calculations. Trying to concentrate for the hundredth time that day, he reread the same sentence his assistant had scribbled over and over again but his mind failed to register what his eyes had fed. Giving up, he tossed the book aside and leaned heavily against his backseat of his leather chair.

He stared blankly at his desk, all scattered with various documents, files and papers. It was almost evening and for the first time since he took over the company, he barely got anything done. He was distracted. 

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips and he closed his eyes momentarily for relief before sweeping across his desk once more, briefly calculating the amount of his work unfinished and finally rested on the crystal vase at the side, supporting a blooming beauty of a flower. The red rose that was given to him by the nameless maiden. It had been days since then yet the flower did not showed any sign of wilting. Every time when he glanced it, he always imagined the gentle, delicate fingers that had grasped it, the soft fingers that had entwined with his, the warmth of her presence. He missed her company terribly and how he regretted not insisting on her name or any detail of her.

The gentle knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts and he glanced up only to find his personal assistant entering. Quatre hid a groan as the realization of his presence sunk him.

"Mr. Winner, it's time."

Minako was practically giddy as her eyes swept across the crowded airport, searching for the one person she had been longing to see. Her bags, or to be exact, Caroline's bags which were more than what she and her generals had brought, were carried by several of Quatre's men who had waited for her arrival. Apparently Caroline had insisted that her fiancé sent 'someone' to carry her luggage for her and judging from what she had calculated, Quatre seemed to expect that large amount of luggage.

Robert, one of Quatre's personal assistants eyed the young princess as she offered her assistance to one of his men who was struggling to balance three of her luggage. She said something to the man and both of them let out a bubble of mirth, joining in by several more who happened to be listening. She then continued to chat her way with the others, her curiosity apparent as she kept asking about practically everything she saw or heard.

Two weeks ago Quatre had informed him the arrival of his fiancée, which took everyone by surprise yet they expected the young man to be thrilled at the prospect of settling down with someone of equal wealth and standards, even though he seemed a little too young to do so. Then again, if he recalled back Quatre's achievements and talents especially his capabilities as a pilot, the bond of matrimony was actually much easier to handle. 

However Quatre didn't seem at all interested in talking about his visiting fiancée or his wedding. He spoke very little of Caroline when he was asked and could barely hide the slight resentment in his tone if he failed to avoid the topic. This led Robert to believe how unsuitable his bride-to-be was, seeing how unusually unhappy Quatre was. And she wasn't even by his side then.

Robert had certainly expected her to be somewhat of a pretty face, which she was, although pretty was an understatement. She was beyond gorgeous, even his men weren't able to take their eyes of her. If there was even a speck of snobbishness or any other flaw in her, they were well concealed because from what he had seen so far made him realized how benighted Quatre was of his luck. The girl was refreshingly wonderful and intelligent, not at all as Quatre expected her to be. Robert however, chose to ignore the amount of luggage she had brought with her, dismissing it as nothing more than a woman's mere obsession with clothes.

"So what time is Quatre suppose to be here?" Minako asked, breaking Robert's rumination. 

Robert looked entirely perplexed as he answered her, "He's not able to make it, Miss Calvert. He had to attend an urgent meeting with some representatives from around regarding a business deal this afternoon. But he will join you for dinner instead. I.thought you knew about it."

Minako quickly dismissed it with a shrug, although she failed to recall if Caroline ever did tell her about that. "Oh, then I suppose I was misinformed. Sometimes I forgot that he's a busy man. Oh well, shall we? I do not want to give Quatre a bad impression, especially not on my first visit here."

"First visit? I thought you lived here before you moved." Robert trailed with a frown.

Minako's eyes widen a little and she quickly conjured up a lie while mentally kicking herself for her recklessness, "I mean, a first visit here since then. I've travel a lot so sometimes it's difficult for me to recall back where I've been and when."

Robert half expected her to complain of her fiance's lack of attention or showed any hint of disappointment or anger in her tone or features but she didn't seem bothered by it at all. Instead, she diverted all her attention to her surrounding, taking in the beautiful view that seemed to welcome her as they drove, the curiosity settling in as she began to converse with him about various subject, her eyes still admiring the view.

Robert didn't realize he had been staring at her and when she finally caught his gaze, he blushed a little and turned away. 

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Ivan?" 

Robert turned back to meet her and licked his lips, hesitating to answer, "Well, forgive me if I'm being rude but it's just that.you don't seem at all like I expect you to be."

Minako's features were impassive but inside she was quite disturbed by that statement. With all the excitement and thrill of traveling 'alone' in a foreign planet without any supervision from her generals, she had momentarily forgotten who she was suppose to be and how she was suppose to act in front of them. The thought of being Caroline baffled her until now and the idea of being someone like such was not easy so she didn't think much about it before this. The weight of her uneasiness was overthrown by the joy of seeing Quatre again. Now that she was reminded of her bitter task, she had to swallow up her pride and covered up her appearances before giving away too much details that would inform them of her treachery.

"What makes you say that, Mr. Ivan?" Minako exclaimed sweetly with a false smile. "Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that Quatre has been telling you some things about me that.perhaps offends you a little?" When Robert was hesitated to answer, Minako continued, allowing the air of arrogance to settle in between them as she shifted her gaze ahead, appeared seemingly to stare blankly at the road. "Well, I'm not surprise as he always seem to be making awful stories about me since we were kids, even though most of them are lies. Old habits die hard, I guess."

Robert began to feel a little uneasy, immediately sensing the change of atmosphere in the limo. "I don't believe that was his intention, Miss Calvert," Robert interrupted, hastened to defend Quatre. 

"Well, what I'm certain is that he surely haven't change," Minako accused coldly, ignoring the small tug her own words had on her. "I've come here to see him and he didn't seem to care or appreciate the fact that his fiancée has to push aside the rest of her busy schedules and come all the way here to see him. I'm disappointed but at least he is nice enough to join me for dinner. That is, if he remembers."

At that point, Robert was baffled. Yet confused. She didn't seem like this awhile ago but then he couldn't ignore the tinge of resentment in her tone. Just like Quatre had. "As you said, Miss Calvert, he's a busy man. You can't expect him to drop his meetings that came all so suddenly just for you alone. He has other obligations, too."

"Of course he can," Minako insisted, glancing at him with mere casualness that belonged to a stubborn child. "I'm his fiancée and if he care enough about me, then he would. Or else, why would he agree to marry me? I doubt he's at home at this very moment. Maybe he'll call you in a few minutes to let you know he's now stuck at a function, entertaining those female companions of his that I've heard so much about." 

"You must have mistaken that for a pilot friend of his, Miss Calvert," Robert said patiently. "Because Mr. Winner doesn't have the time to entertain anyone due to his busy schedules, not even his friends. The longest leave of absence he had took was merely three days and that, so far was his first vacation in years."

Minako knew that, too, recalling briefly of their first meeting and she had to suppress a smile. Quatre was too well mannered to indulge himself in any harmless flirtation nor even respond to any seductive gesture. "Well, that explains why he's not here now, doesn't it?"

Minako couldn't believe the skillfulness of her acting. She sounded almost as appalling as she hated herself to be which in a very uneasy way, was good, even if this would one way or another hurt Quatre. She couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt at the charade yet she kept reminding herself why she had agreed to do this in the first place, gripping the fact with enough force for her to believe. Besides, she was always looking forward to befriend the pilots so this was certainly an opportunity, even if it was for only a month.

Robert was speechless. His mind was wracking for a comeback yet he was too shocked to utter a word of defense for his employer. Sighing in defeat, he turned away and pretend to be absorbed with the passing view of skyscrapers and various forms of vehicles, intending to keep the silence and prolong any further argument despite the awkwardness that settled between them. 

However, the silence barely lasted more than five minutes for Minako had began a series of earnest inquiries about various subjects. At first, Robert's answers had been curt and nonchalant, hoping to disinterest the blonde girl into silence but Minako appeared oblivious to his discomfort or forced politeness as she continued to include him in her conversation, asking constantly for his opinions and views on matters that doesn't seem to have any strong points. But after awhile of absorbing her amusing perspectives, he could sense Minako's previous bubbly personality resurfacing and instinctively found himself at ease. Before long, he began to listen and converse with her earnestly, trying hard to suppress the urge to laugh at her sarcasm and outrageous jokes. 

Unlike most of Quatre's colleagues and rare escorts who would use whatever knowledge they could compile of Quatre's political status, the prerogatives as the head of the Winner Corporation or other influential contacts for personal benefits, Minako rather discussed about the importance of one's privacy, the astonishing fact about her preference in being independent rather than being spoon fed and spoilt (which had been his earlier assumption) and other miscellaneous inquiries that were more suited to a tourist. 

After half an hour, they finally arrived at Quatre's palatial mansion. Minako was immediately greeted by Quatre's head butler, Lyon and several other liveried servants who were stationed to gather her luggage. Immediately from their brief yet polite greetings and their constant need to sneak glimpses of her and avoiding eye contact, she could detect the extreme courtesy implemented in the household and was astonished to discover how particular Quatre was about it. She watched in amusement as they mechanically carried her luggage and disappeared into the corner. Their bodies appeared so stiff that it made their movements so comical. She had to suppress the urge to laugh, reminding her that she used to be like such when she was given her first lesson on courtesy and other forms of formal greetings. 

Once inside, Lyon gave her a brief tour as they made their way towards her suite. Minako was far from impressed at Quatre's luxurious comforts since she, too possessed an equal wealth and a much bigger home. Her eyes kept drifting towards the floor-to-ceiling windows, which gave her a nice view of Quatre's well-trimmed and blossomed garden. She felt the need for some fresh air and the beautiful view of greeneries was tempting her to explore. 

She sneaked a glance towards the butler who was providing her historical facts and details about the previous owners of the mansion. He had walked ahead of her, seemingly absorbed in his own explanation which Minako didn't have the heart to interrupt. So instead, she quietly took off to the opposite direction, eager to take a quick stroll on her own.

"Kat, will you relax?" Duo replied exasperatedly to his friend who was seated across from him in the limo. "You've been fixing your tie for the past half an hour, I'm surprise you haven't suffocate to death. If you wanna strangle yourself with it, I can assist you, you know."

Quatre let out a soft chuckle. "I'm sorry. It's just that.I'm a little nervous.."

"A little?" Duo cried incredulously. "I haven't seen you this nervous at war. Look, I know it's not going to be easy for you once you meet up with her but you gotta be in control of this whole thing and you can't do that if you give her this kind of impression."

"You're right," Quatre relented and straightened himself, drawing a steady breath. "You're absolutely right. I got to be firm about my decision of this marriage. And that is not to have one."

"Great, so how you're going to break that to her?"

"I don't know. That's why I call you here."

Duo looked baffle and his mouth hung open in disbelief. "I have to tell her? Quatre Raberba Winner, I can't believe you would sink your standards this low! No! There's no way I'm going to meddle in this! That's like telling her you will call the next day after you slept with her."

"Duo, that's terrible," Quatre murmured, forgetting momentarily the gravity of the situation. "You've done that before?"

"No," Duo answered with a shrug. "But that's what it feels like."

"I'm not asking you to tell her," Quatre explained slowly. "All I want you to do is get a good look at her and then let me know if you have any idea on how should I approach this subject. Maybe you can judge her better than I can since you're not involved."

"Oh. Then I guess that's okay. Am I to stay for dinner?"

"If you want to."

Half an hour later, they reached the mansion. Quatre's heart was at the verge of exploding in his chest as he entered his own home, forgetting momentarily that his butler, who was normally stationed at the front, was no where in sight. Quatre was actually half expecting Caroline to stand at the doorway, seemingly to wait for his arrival with her arms folded, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor and her features contorted in an angry glare for his lack of courtesy. He knew she was expecting him to pick her up from the airport despite whatever reasons or excuses he could come up with. However, because of his own selfishness, he decided to prolong the encounter until he could come up with a better approach on the worrying matters concerning their marriage. 

Yet as seconds passed, he began to have second thoughts about it. Not that he feared her fury or her father's but he was afraid that it would dash all his hopes of ever breaking the contract and knowing Caroline, she was not one to be easily misled by his kindness or pleading into agreeing. Sighing hopelessly at this revelation, he decided it was too late to ponder over it now.

Before he and Duo could go any further, raised voices suddenly echoed in the hallway, seemingly to be in a heated discussion about something. Exchanging glances with Duo, both pilots crossed the hallway in search of those voices and found Lyon and several of his liveried servants talking in the corner, their features etched with concern and angry disappointment. Upon hearing Quatre and Duo's footsteps, the staffs instantly stopped talking and greeted Quatre in a nervous tone. Immediately, the blonde man could sense the unusual tension in the air and the obvious stiffness in his servants' movements. 

"Mr. Lyon, what's going on?" Quatre demanded, worried that something dreadful had befallen his household. 

Lyon hesitated, briefly contemplating on some lies to conceal his fault but he knew better than to judge Quatre. So he reluctantly explained, "It's.Miss Calvert, Master Winner." 

"Caroline?" Quatre echoed in puzzled, his tone more towards curiosity than concern. "What happen to her? Is she alright? Where is she?"

Lyon glanced desperately at the other servants before forcing his gaze back at Quatre. "Well, you see, sir, that's the problem. She's.er, apparently missing."

Both Quatre and Duo gave him a skeptical look. "Missing?" Duo echoed with a smirk. "How's that possible? I thought Quatre's the only one who refuse this marriage."

"Well, I.was giving her a tour around the mansion, as you ordered to but when I turn around after awhile, she was gone." Seeing the baffled look from his employer and guest, Lyon added hastily, "But I've already instructed the staffs to search for her around the mansion and it's been only.two hours and a half."

"Which means we have a good hour left before dinner gets cold," Duo replied, thoughtfully and received a disapproval frown from Quatre at his lack of concern. 

"Perhaps she got lost wandering around," Quatre suggested calmly. "There's no reason to alarm the staffs just yet. Dismiss them at once and tell them to return back to their chores. Duo and I will search for her ourselves."

"My oh my, this turn out to be more exciting than I thought," Duo murmured after the servants left. "Looks like you won't have much problem talking her out of marrying you."

"I don't know, Duo," Quatre replied, distracted with his own thoughts. "It's too soon to tell though I can't say I'm surprise. This is very like her."

"What do you mean?"

"She's very used to being.shall we say, wait upon at hands and feet," Quatre explained as they began to walk. "She used to lock herself in her room for days or walk out of the house if any of the servants displease her or her father, Mr. Calvert refuse to follow her will. She could give quite a display of uncontrollable temper, too." He paused as a sigh tore his lips, his features indicating his compunction. "I'm afraid I was the cause for her running away this time."

Duo grimaced. "I find it hard to believe someone as civilize and supposedly at a mature age could behave with such childishness. It's a good thing you're seriously reconsidering this marriage. Anyway, if she does run away, she'll eventually show up in a few days, several weeks at most. So for now all we can do is just wait for her to return. Or at least a phone call."

"I think I'll continue the search for awhile," Quatre answered with a weary smile. "I won't feel at ease if I don't try. She is at least my guest, if not my fiancée. It's my fault for not treating her like one. I'll meet you in my study in a few minutes. Two hours the most."

"Wait, where are you going to look for her?" Duo asked as Quatre trotted ahead of him. "I think your staffs had practically cover the whole area."

"I know, I'm going to see if she's hiding outside. She used to do that every time she came for a visit in hopes that we wouldn't have to meet."

Quatre slowly made his way around the garden, his eyes darting from one corner to another, hoping to catch a glimpse of his fiancée. Until he stepped foot on the perimeters, he forgot how big his garden actually was. It took him quite awhile to recall his way around but instead of wandering aimlessly, he decided to search only the secluded areas where she used to hide as a child, which meant he had to explore a little deeper. 

As he walked on the manmade path, he couldn't help admiring the blossoming beauty of his greeneries and flowers. The last time he took a stroll here was years back when he was still a wide-eyed child. Being absorbed into an environment of battles and duels in the following years didn't give him much opportunity to appreciate nature as he used to. Now he could see the vast difference in his garden and analyzed the splendid work his gardeners did on maintaining it. He made a mental note to give them a raise.

His search however was unfruitful for Caroline was still nowhere to be found. Assuming that she had most probably left the mansion, he decided to head back and wait for her to return instead. In the mean time, he needed to come up with a better excuse when she did show up so that he could douse her fury and actually get to the more important matters of breaking the contract.

A soft voice soared gently in the air, carrying with it a melody that was refreshingly unique and serene. Quatre's thoughts were broken at once as he was immediately absorbed in the soaring beauty of the voice, completely mesmerized and astounded by such serenity it provided. Instantly Quatre could tell the music was a masterpiece, he couldn't recall a single musician who had created it nor had he ever heard such a soothing voice. 

Instinctively, he listened carefully to the voice and began to follow its lead, hoping to meet the talented singer. He couldn't help wondering who it belonged to yet he could tell there was a slight familiarity in it though he still couldn't be too sure of it. It struck to him the possibility of the voice belonged to Caroline but he dismissed that thought seeing as Caroline disliked singing and she hardly had the voice for it. The sweet melody led him deeper into the garden but he knew he was on the right path for the voice was growing louder and clearer at each passing moment.

Soon, he reached a clearing and behind a row of trimmed bushes, he found a blonde girl hovering above what seemed to him was a large swimming pool. Oddly enough, he did not remember the swimming pool ever being there but that was far at the back of his mind for he was completely taken by her beauty. She had his back to him but it was enough for him to tell she possessed a beauty like no other. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back like golden waterfalls and the gentle sway of her hips as she slowly went on her knees to dip her hand in the water almost made him blush, horrified that he was actually studying her so intensely. 

She was still singing, engrossed in her own music as she did not notice the other presence and when she turned slightly to her right, Quatre felt his heart hammered wildly in his chest at the sudden recollection of her delicate features and beautiful voice. It's her! his mind applauded ecstatically at the revelation. The girl in Venus! She's here, in his home! 

He had no idea how she could have found his mansion since all of his personal details were strictly confidential and kept secret from the public nor the reason for her visit but he couldn't care about any of those right now. His heart was singing at the sight, just watching her like this and knowing she was well in his quarters filled him with so much joy. He didn't realize he missed her that much until now and he wanted so much to embrace her, assuring him that she was real and not a dream that he used to conjure up to comfort his loneliness. 

The song was slowly coming to an end and still, she was oblivious to his presence. Wanting to confront her, he came out from his hiding place and stood a few feet behind her, savoring the beautiful melody and waiting patiently for it to end. 


	8. chapter 8

LONG VACATION 

By : angelofvenus_l3

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Minako sighed blissfully, letting the cool water lapped her hand. The water looked so clear, so refreshing that she was so tempted to dive in. Yet her attire was inappropriate for such activity, not to mention her status as a guest and a fiancée to a respectable politician. Still, it would be nice to stay in the water after a long, tiring journey. 

Suddenly remembering Quatre's arrival and their dinner date, Minako gasped at the time and frantically rose to her feet. When she spun around and took a step forward, she instantly collided face-to-face with Quatre. Bewildered and completely taken aback by his sudden presence, she instinctively let out a shriek and before Quatre could react, her leg slipped beneath her at the contact and she felt her body began to fall. Her hands frantically reached up only to grab Quatre's shirt, bringing him downwards into the pool.

Both felt the cold water making sharp contact with them as they were pulled below, their skins pricked by the intensity of the cool temperature. Before Minako was dragged even deeper into the pool, she felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist protectively and pulled her to the surface. Once her head had emerged, Minako gulped in huge breaths after coughing up water and steadied her pounding heart, all the while clutching Quatre's shirt tightly in reflex. 

Forgetting his own soaking state, Quatre let out a chuckle as he studied her features carefully. Her hair was soaking wet and clinging to her back and cheeks in strands. Her face flushed from the cold and her eyes seemed even bluer than he remembered. Transfixed by her beauty, his mind went completely numbed, unable him to wrack a witty remark or a mere greeting to her.

When her eyes finally locked with his and the realization had finally registered in her head, she exclaimed in surprise, "Quatre! W-what…how d-did you…w-when did…" Her lips were numbed from the cold, making it harder for her to speak and her mind to think. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to hammer rapidly once she realized the closeness of his form pressed against hers. She felt her cheeks grew warm all of a sudden. Of all the possible encounters she had envisioned with Quatre, this was definitely not one of them. But it was certainly romantic.

"Q-Quatre, you're back," she finally managed to utter, trying desperately to hide her blush. "H-how did you know I was here?"

When Quatre opened his mouth to answer, another voice interrupted sarcastically, "And to think we were actually worry about both of you."

Startled, the couple jerked their heads to the side, only to find Duo and Lyon standing across from them. Lyon was frowning in disapproval at the scene but he remained silent as courtesy did not allow him to comment on his employer's behavior. Duo on the other hand, was grinning from ear-to-ear, staring mostly at Minako who was now an even darker shades of pink. 

"Towel, sir?" Lyon spoke quietly as he magically produced a pair of neatly folded towels. 

Quatre could feel himself blushing but his smile was still plastered on his face when he led Minako to the edge of the pool. Before Lyon could offer his assistance to her, Duo immediately grabbed Minako's delicate hand and helped her up, though not before Quatre caught the mischievous glint in Duo's eyes. Duo grinned even wider when his eyes fell on the dress that clung to Minako's curve, emphasizing her figure that was almost too perfect for a spoilt child.

"Thank you," Minako said sheepishly as Duo wrapped a towel around her shoulders. "But I'm afraid Quatre didn't mention about you at all…"

"Well, figures he wouldn't," Duo replied with a wry smile, motioning his head towards Quatre. "He's just afraid I might be a little too much competition for him." Pausing briefly to mock a bow, he continued soberly, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name's Duo Maxwell but you, my pretty lady, may call me Duo. Now the thing you must remember about me is that I may run and I may hide but I never ever tell a lie." Then, he planted a swift kiss on the back of her palm which prompted Minako to chuckle. She was more accustomed to the formal courtesy she received at home but she liked Duo's version much better. 

"Duo?" she suddenly echoed as another realization hit her. "Duo Maxwell? As in the Gundam pilot? The Deathscythe pilot?" 

Duo regarded her with unconcealed amusement, immediately intrigued at her genuine interest and he beamed proudly, "The very same…Perhaps sometime we can get together and I'll tell you more about myself and Deathscythe…"

"Yes, you'll have to do that some other time, Mr. Maxwell," Lyon intruded after offering Quatre his towel. "Because dinner has been served for almost fifteen minutes now, we don't want it to get anymore colder. Come, Master Winner, Miss Calvert, we must get both of you out of those clothes."

At that point, Quatre's head jerked up at the mention of her family name, his expression twisted in a mixture of horrified and disbelief. He turned to Minako questioningly who suddenly regarded him with a guilty look. Quatre appeared so shock that he was loss for words. 

Minako was silence but she remained on her ground and stared back at Quatre, noting his despair. She could sense an inkling of bitterness that was slowly deepening in his eyes and she ached at that thought. Before this, she had analyzed the situation carefully and even though she dreaded the confrontation, she had prepared herself for the mixed emotions that trailed with it. Now, she realized how much pain his eyes could express and he had yet to discover she was not his fiancée.

Quatre could feel his world crashing down on him at the heartbreaking discovery. It sounded dramatically exaggerated but that was what he truly felt about it. Up to now, he didn't realize how much he resented Caroline's presence until he discovered that she had been with him all this while. He recalled the memories in Venus, the glimmer of interest in her eyes, the warmth of her smile, the feel of her hands and her comforting presence, all of them seemed to ache him even more and worst, those memories seemed to mock him at every turn, reminding him over and over again at his stupidity and naïve. Despite her honesty that he would find out her identity soon enough, he felt cheated in many ways. All of a sudden, she appeared so different now. There was an aura of arrogance surrounding her and her features weren't as soft as before. Nor was her sweet and innocent demeanor. He tried to ignore or at least suppress the resentment that was slowly building up in him as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze, challenging him to deny her existence. 

"Is something wrong, Quatre?" she asked quietly, as though noting his dread and sharing his revelation. 

Taking a step back, he looked away and casually rubbed the towel on his neck, pretending to wipe the last remaining ounce of dampness. "No, Caroline," he answered with calm authority, not cold enough for resentment but enough for her to interpret his feelings towards the confrontation. "Of course not. I just didn't expect it was you all this while. But you've always been quite a bundle of surprise since I've known you. However, this certainly tops all of them."

Minako hesitated, not certain how to regard his meaning which was why she was grateful when Lyon interfered once more, "I'm deeply sorry to interrupt you, sir, but you and Miss Calvert really need to change into a more…appropriate attire. You both might catch a cold if we delay this any longer. Please, shall we? That is, of course, if Miss Calvert would not run out on us again."

Quatre smiled in appreciation at his butler's concern, though his smile did not reached his ears. With another forced smile and a nod to Minako, he led the way back to the mansion, completely ignoring Minako's presence. Duo instead had taken Quatre's position to entertain the blonde princess, prating randomly about various subjects, eager to impress her with his jokes and witty remarks. Minako listened to him earnestly, appreciating Duo's effort to make her feel at ease and comfortable with her surrounding.

It did not however erase her guilt and longing for Quatre's warm company. 

Dinner was quiet, much to Minako's dismay. Caroline wasn't kidding when she claimed how much they resented each other. The tension was so evident that even the servants were shifting uncomfortably in the room and exchanging skeptical glance. Quatre had tried to strike a polite conversation about her father and his business, which Minako was surprisingly not prepared for and she only answered him with meager interest which led Quatre to misunderstood her ignorance for hostility and resentment. So he had instantly lapsed into silence, eating quietly and refusing to meet her gaze. Minako, on the other hand, was wracking her mind for an opening but seeing Quatre's sudden disinterest to converse only made her even more tensed. She wished Duo hadn't decided to leave all of a sudden, she felt much more at ease with his friendly smile and down-to-earth nature. 

The meal looked delicious and delectable, for it was specially prepared on her account but Minako couldn't stomach the thought of eating in her state of mind. She poked and pushed her food until it was beyond recognizable state. When she realized the servants were eyeing her, she managed them a weak smile and quickly yet forcefully swallowed a small amount. 

When Minako had earlier descended down the stairs, Quatre was momentarily caught off-guard by her appearance. It wasn't much of the clothes that caught his attention, but with the simplicity of her attire and her sunshine hair tied neatly in a common half ponytail, she posed herself exactly like a common teenager, instead of the wealthy and spoilt young girl she really was. Next to her, Quatre felt that he was a little overdressed for dinner and he had to restrain himself from constantly stealing glances at her.

Quatre politely rubbed a napkin on his mouth after he finished his meal. When he finally looked at Minako across from him, he was startled to find her food barely eaten. He didn't have the appetite either but he had forced himself to swallow a few bites as courtesy for tonight's 'special' occasion. He wanted so much to leave the room and proceed to work on his proposal yet seeing her in such a miserable state made his heart melancholy. Something was bothering her and as much as he refused to acknowledge that fact, he felt obligated to find out since she was still a guest in his home. And his fiancée.

"You haven't touch your food," Quatre started softly. 

Minako shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny but quickly registered a polite smile on her face. "I'm not that hungry, I can only manage a few bites tonight. But the chicken is wonderful, my compliments to the chef."

"Um, actually that's emus," Quatre pointed out with unconcealed surprise. 

Minako blinked. "Emus?"

"Yes, it's another form of bird," Quatre elaborated half jokingly, at the same time sending her a skeptical look. 

"I know what emus is," Minako quickly replied as she continued to poke her meal. "I just never had one before."

Quatre stared at her in puzzled. "But it's your favorite."

Minako's fork suddenly cluttered on the plate and she mentally kicked herself for letting her ignorance slipped so easily. After she recovered, she forced a nervous chuckle as she fabricated, "Well, I haven't had any for a long time ever since I launched an all out campaign against…er, against…"

"Emus?" Quatre offered in uncertainty. 

"Against animal," Minako answered nervously before continued in a confident tone. "Yes, that's right, against animal!"

Quatre's frowned. "But you're not a vegetarian."

"I know," Minako replied defensively, her mind reeling for some sort of fabrication. "But my friends are and I support them." She then let out a soft chuckle, "I don't know how they talk me into it, it still seem like a such a good idea…"

Quatre restrained the urge to point out that she was not one to indulge in this sort of 'community service' but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. It had been a long time since they last met and she did seem to have change in many ways. However, he didn't intend to find out whether it was for good or bad. He still had a lot of matters to deal with, mostly involving her.

After he signaled for the servants to leave, Quatre cleared his throat and began more solemnly, "So what were you doing in Venus?"

Minako shrugged but this time, she was prepared to counter each of his question head on. "I was on holiday with a friend," she answered nonchalantly. "You're not the only one who's been working hard all this while. I run my own business, too, you know."

"Yes, so I've heard," Quatre remarked politely. 

"I really didn't expect to see you there," Minako replied softly after a moment of silent, figuring she owed him some sort of explanation. Or consolation. 

"Neither did I," Quatre agreed thoughtfully. "But why didn't you tell me who you really are? You know I am bound to find out sooner or later. Why did you.…" He paused and let out a bitter chuckle, aching at those treacherous memories. "Why did you have to play with all those mind games?"

Minako drew in a deep breath, suddenly finding it difficult to broach that subject without appearing heartless. "I was just having fun. I didn't know it was you until you told me and I thought it could be just a…" She paused to recall back what Caroline had described her current relationship. "Fling. It's impossible to gain a serious relationship on a foreign planet, Quatre…"

"It certainly didn't appear foreign to you," Quatre said bitterly, almost gritting his teeth when he recalled back their intimate discussions about Venus and the way her every movement caused his heart to race and his face to flush. "So you were pretending all this while to be fascinated with everything? For a mere…" He grimaced as he finished his sentence, "Fling?"

"Yes," Minako embittered as she smiled in mockery, all the while fighting the urge to rebel against her own words and blurted out the truth to him. "I can't believe you actually bought that. Was I that convincing? I guess I didn't realize what I'm really capable of..."

Quatre scowled, disappointment and hurt clearly evident in his eyes. He had wanted to discuss with her about their engagement but at this moment he couldn't bring himself to speak without allowing his anger to cloud his better judgment and strategies. He had never felt so betrayed and heartbroken to the point of speechlessness. He didn't know what else to think, he was afraid that if he contemplated on the previous events he would become vindictive and thus, heightening his resentment to new lengths. So instead, he decided to shove the matter aside until he sorted out his feelings and reassessed his plan. 

"Caroline, if you would excuse me, I have some proposals and paperwork to deal with. Lyon will be at your service if you need anything." Without waiting for a reply, he rose to his feet, gave her a polite nod and left the dining area. 

Minako was startled at his lack of manners but she was a little relief that he handled it better than she thought he would, although she couldn't help wondering about the outcomes of this confrontation. Forcing herself to dismiss her worries for Quatre's feelings, she consoled herself by thinking about tomorrow's plans. But a realization jarred her thoughts and prompted her to rush to her room to make a private phone call.

Daniel heaved out an angry sigh as he slammed the phone so hard that he actually thought for a moment it might break. But the contraction remained in one piece, with its owner glaring angrily at it as if it was at fault for all his troubles. Alya came in his room just in time to witness his previous display of frustration. 

Daniel tore his gaze away and softened just slightly when he noticed her tired look. They had been up the whole night, waiting anxiously for information regarding the princess's whereabouts and participated in the search as well, making phone calls to several communication centers and rechecking their lists of passengers. He was so engrossed in the search, he barely realized they didn't slept or ate anything for almost two days. After a lot of persuasion from Anthony and several of his officers, the two generals had agreed to retreat to their hotel and waited for their reports. Which so far, did not contain any of the information they needed. 

It didn't help matters at all when he received an email from Andrite several hours ago, who had earlier made an agreement to contact through mail so that the princess wouldn't suspect that her movements were strictly and currently monitored by Andrite himself. Daniel hesitated to tell his head general about the current status so he left it at that, refusing to reply or call as he was expected.

Dreading his answers, Alya inquired weakly, suppressing her own sigh, "Another dead end?"

"It's hopeless," Daniel told her dryly as she sat on his bed. "If she really did travel under different alias, she could be anywhere at this point. The security cameras couldn't even catch a glimpse of her entering any of the shuttles so there's a possibility that she's still on Venus." Heaving out another frustrated sigh, he added solemnly, "It's been only two days, and I've a feeling there won't be much of a progress without Andrite's knowledge."

"No, please," Alya pleaded weakly. "Just a couple more days…"

"I'm more concern for her safety than our positions," Daniel stated firmly and with patience that seemed to be thinning at each moment. "Do you really understand the risk we're taking here, Alya? If we don't tell Andrite now, he will surely find out from a different source and we'll still be in as much trouble, if not worst. We're lucky if this doesn't get to the press but I can't say the same thing if she is discovered by her acquaintances without a proper escort and involve in some sort of ridiculous parties or events teenagers got themselves into these days. If word do gets out, the planet will start to question her capability and involvement, which will lead them to question the court's decision of placing her as the future ruler and also the generals' lack of control over a sixteen-year-old. But Andrite will solely receive the blame for our recklessness and since the court couldn't possibly dismiss Princess Minako from the palace, they will dismiss Andrite instead and permanently at that."

Alya wanted to protest but realization dawned across her features at the truth ringing in his speech. She was silence for several minutes before she spoke up quietly but with equal firmness and determination, "Two days." Daniel rolled his eyes and turned away in helpless frustration at his comrade's persistence. Alya ignored his reaction and repeated a little louder, "Two days, Daniel. Just give it two days and then we'll tell Andrite what actually…"

Alya's statement stopped abruptly when she felt her cell phone vibrated beneath her jacket before erupted into loud rings. Suddenly filled with hope, she lifted the phone to her ear without even a glance at the screen.

"Anthony?" Alya demanded in anticipation. 

"Anthony?" the soft voice on the other line echoed with mild amusement. "Is that a new friend?"

Alya's eyes widen in a mixture of shock and relief when she finally recognized the voice. "Minako?!" she cried worriedly "Minako, is that really you?"

"Of course it's me," the princess answered with a soft chuckle.

"Oh god, we were so worried if something terrible happen to you," Alya replied urgently, pacing back and forth and all the while ignoring Daniel's scowl. "Are you alright? Did anything bad happen to you? Are you hurt?"

"No, I've never been any better…"

"Really, that's great," Alya said with fake sweetness before her tone increased to higher octaves, "Because you won't be after this!! Minako, how could you do this to me?! Do you know how much trouble you've cause us?! You could have been killed or kidnapped and no one wouldn't even know how to locate you!! Do you realize how…."

Alya's statement was cut off when Daniel yanked the phone away from Alya's hand and demanded calmly to Minako, "Where are you?"

Minako swallowed hard when she heard Daniel's voice. She anticipated their annoyance towards her previous behavior but she didn't expect Alya to react this bad, which prompted Minako to ponder the extent of her behavior and reassessed her strategy to convince the two generals of her plan.

"Princess, answer me. Where are you?"

"That doesn't matter right now," Minako answered with ease, waving her hand dismissively as though Daniel could see her. "What matters is that I'm fine…"

"I'm afraid Andrite won't jump in joy at that perspective," Daniel stated through gritted teeth. "You, as well as everyone in the palace, are familiar with his rage so let's try our hardest not to provoke it. If you tell us your location, we'll pick you up from there, grab the earliest shuttle to Pluto and forget that this ever occur."

Minako let out a bitter laugh. "You expect me to accept that?" she exclaimed incredulously. "That's what Ally and I've been doing ever since I understood the concept of bribery!" Daniel's protest was instantly cut short when Minako intruded firmly, "No, Daniel, this vacation is mine and mine alone and I intend to enjoy it all by myself. I'm tired of having every single thing in my life plan out in detail ahead of me when I'm not even aware of that process…"

"If you don't, then who else will?!" Daniel snapped back sternly. "You are just a kid, you're bound to make errors! And we're hired to ensure that you do not make any because you can't afford to right now, not when you are months away from rising to the throne."

Minako rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Look, I don't have time to argue with you, Daniel. I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you because you clearly will never understand. But you know what, you don't have a choice here. I'm not coming back until my vacation's officially over. Just be glad that I intend to contact you and Ally as often as possible to assure you of my safety. In the mean time, I suggest you both just continue our schedule as planned. We don't want anybody to suspect something's amiss now, do we?"

"You can't be serious!" Daniel cried in disbelief. 

"I've never been anymore serious in my life," Minako insisted stubbornly. 

"And if I report this matter to Andrite?"

"I don't think you would," Minako challenged. "Aren't we suppose to try our hardest not to provoke his rage? Why are you making things even more complicated? Technically, we are on our vacation, only we're having it separately. If we're careful not to reveal the situation, everything will work out the way it's suppose to be. In a few week's time we'll meet up again, return back home together and Andrite won't know the difference. What do you think?"

"I still think you are making a mockery of the whole court," Daniel spat angrily. Then, his tone lowered in defeat. "But as you said, we've no choice. It's either that or you'll proclaim yourself a missing royalty."

After Minako hang up, Daniel drew in his breath in a manner to regain his composure and taking in the gravity of the situation. Alya looked pleadingly beside him, her fists raised in anticipation. "So?" she demanded anxiously. Daniel regarded her with a skeptical glance before tossing back the phone to her and peered outside the window, compiling his thoughts. 

"Any chances we can trace that call?"

Alya hesitated and glanced at the phone screen. "No, it's a private number…"

"I thought so," Daniel murmured thoughtfully.

The next day, Quatre went to work earlier than usual in hopes of avoiding any confrontations with his fiancée which obviously would drag yesterday's argument and further quarrels. He decided to worry about their current positions later for there was too many significance business issues he had to deal with on Earth. He was still managing his father's empire in Colony L4 and also involved in various political affairs that contributed to the development of the space colonies. Although it would be more convenient for him to reside on Colony L4, Quatre made a startling decision to live on Earth instead as he had grown fond of the beauty on Earth that no colonies could ever mass-produce. 

As soon as he entered his office, his secretary quickly went in to remind him of his schedules and as she began to read the daily planner, he was already in the midst of surveying the accounts. If not for his occasional nods and encouraging smiles, his secretary would perceive his silence for ignorance or oblivious to her presence. He had his eyes focused on the documents scattered on his desk and the only time when he looked up was to greet her when she entered and to thank her when she left. His usual warm camaraderie seemed to have reduced drastically over the past year and it didn't come unnoticed by his staffs, leaving all of them slightly worried that this young man would lose himself completely. 

"Wait."

The blonde woman jerked her head up in surprise from the file she had been reading to Quatre, instinctively shoving a strand of hair nervously behind her ear in a manner to calm her nerves. A habit which she acquired over the past few weeks since she was hired and also stemmed from the desperate need to impress her employer with her capabilities. She did not want him to regret ever giving her this job and although he had several more publicists working under him, he had gave her the chance to prove her worth as a member of his respective corporation.

"Y-yes, Mr. Winner?" 

"Is it possible if I do not attend that charity gala next week?" Quatre murmured halfheartedly, preoccupied with signing some papers. 

"You mean the one organized by White Rose Ball?" Doris shook her head solemnly. "I'm afraid that can't be done, Mr. Winner. You donated the Klineman sculpture to the charity auction that precedes the ball and you're to be honored for your generosity."

"Perhaps if I send someone else…"

"It has to be you," Doris persisted softly but enough force to ensure him the firmness in her decision. "When public relations suggest you make a donation, you a made a very generous one. The proceeds go to the L4 Cancer Society and the ball is a major media event. The timing is perfect for a little publicity here, followed by a press conference the following week."

"Press conference?" Quatre echoed in between astonishment and irate. "What for?" 

Doris licked her lips nervously and reluctantly explained, "Well, rumors has been spreading among the colonies that you are engage to the daughter of a wealthy businessman from a nearby colony. After being voted as the most eligible and successful entrepreneur for eight months straight, people want to hear something different aside from your usual achievements and believe it or not, everyone is more interested to know about your personal life rather than your business affair." 

Quatre shifted uncomfortably at the thought of facing those rampaging paparazzi and medias. Caroline would enjoy being the center of those frenzy whirlwind attention but not him. He preferred to keep his personal life private and separated from his work life. When he first decided to monitor his father's company and involved in the rebuilding of earth and colonies, he was constantly 'attacked' by medias. Especially since his identity as the Gundam pilot was revealed, he was hunted down from his office to his own mansion by medias who wanted to get a scoop of his latest news. The unwanted attention became so bad that he was forced to flee to another home and take refuge in one of his mansion with the rest of his friends. 

"I heard your fiancée, Caroline is in town," Doris continued with a slow, conspiratorial smile, seemingly trying to dig out some sort of confession from him. "It will be a great idea to bring her to the White Rose Ball as your escort…"

"No!" Quatre quickly interjected before Doris could go any further. Then, he forced himself to calm down and replied in a more dignified tone, "I'm not sure if I should. I don't think Caroline is that kind of person who enjoys this kind of charity event. She's just arrive today and I don't think I should trouble her…"

"The ball is in two weeks, Mr. Winner," Doris told him dryly. "Unless there's some skeleton in your closet that hadn't been removed yet, you have nothing to worry about."

Quatre leaned back against his seat and sighed in defeat as he weighted the situation before coming to a swift conclusion. "There's something Caroline and I need to discuss before we make our relationship official to the public. Until then, I will not accept any questions regarding our status, nor should the rest of the staffs. Send word to the others about this please."


	9. chapter 9

LONG VACATION 

By : angelofvenusl3

**CHAPTER NINE**

Several days passed by like a breeze for both of them, although not without the occasional arguments about their present status as a betrothed couple. Quatre had tried to talk to her numerous time about the marital contract, with every intention to persuade her relentlessly until she agreed to disagree with the upcoming marriage but the conversation was very brief and Minako never seemed to take it seriously either so the outcome was pretty much the same as before. As much as Quatre loved to press on the matter, he couldn't possibly keep track of their encounters and juggle his business dealings at the same time, not even the skills and abilities he acquired from being a Gundam pilot could assist him in this. So knowing that it was futile to argue at this point where Minako was completely bent on her decision, he decided to devote his time to his work for now. Though one thing was for sure, he was not giving up just yet and beneath his silent treatment, he began forming various schemes that could possibly contribute in his attempt to break the contract.

Minako, on the other hand, grew very uncomfortable when the subject of the contract was brought up. Given the fact that Caroline had not informed her the intimate details of the contents, she was not able to discuss their position properly so instead, she chose either to joke about it, playing about with Quatre's words until she confused the poor man (and sometimes herself because she had the tendency to babble when she was nervous), or avoid the subject, which she decided to sum up by avoiding Quatre altogether. Though it proved to be much easier now when Quatre had all of a sudden decided to stuff himself in the office twenty four seven. Vowing to make the best out of each day of her vacation while she still had the chance, she spent most of her time at the city with some of Quatre's personal assistants. Although she preferred to spend some time alone, she was still unaccustomed to the city and was clearly unready to go out without an escort to guide her way.

There were times when Minako longed for Quatre's company, always very tempted to drop by his office for lunch or 'accidentally' stroll into his study after dinner but she was afraid that would provoke any forms of disagreement from the blonde man for bothering his work. As disturbed as she was by the thought, she could not deny he resented her presence anywhere near him. So she resolved to stay out of his way and try to enjoy herself as much as possible. Her daily involvement in shopping sprees and random tours had managed to distract her and thus, she was not aware of the severity of Quatre's condition due to the long working hours he inflicted upon himself.

However, one night, when Minako woke up to get a drink, she caught sight of the slender light beneath the door to the study. Pondering over it, she turned the knob slowly and very gently as though the faintest creak would alert the servants and poke her head in. She was startled to find Quatre's form crumpled over the desk, his head was resting in his folded arms and turned slightly sideways so she could see that he was asleep. Papers, files and various documents were scattered all over his desk and the computer screen was still bright, displaying various figures and details that were on its way into completion. Quatre's breathing was soft but his features were clearly contorted in a frown, which hardened his subtle image and made him seemed older than his age. His blonde hair was tousled and there were lines of fatigues etched on his forehead, indicating the pressure of the burdens that was placed on his shoulders.

His appearance was so sordid that Minako couldn't possibly close the door back and simply walk away. When her hand reached out to touch his shoulder, a sense of melancholy suddenly washed over her and her movement stopped abruptly at the sensation. A further close-up of his appearance provided her enough detail to study his mental state and it ached her at this discovery. With the lack of confidence that was usually presented in his demeanor and the physical trait that no longer portrayed the young, powerful entrepreneur who had conquered most of his rivals, he seemed very weak and vulnerable.

She was horrified that Quatre would go to the extent of neglecting his health, which she was very certain was not in as good a condition as it should be. It made sense though, she decided wistfully as her hand reached out to stroke his hair. These days Quatre did not present himself at dinner even when he was at home. Until now, it never occurred to her he had been overexerting himself and she felt a little guilty for her own ignorance. She pondered whether the servants were aware of this, because none of them had told her of his predicament nor appeared concerned enough that would alert her own senses. Another disturbing thought toyed with her mind. Has he always been like this? So absorbed in his world of business dealings and intricate projects that he was not aware of anything else? He was no perfectionist but there was a definite streak in him that always needed everything to be in order. In a political world surrounded by uncertainties and shrouded webs of deceit, one needed to have everything in control in order to survive and that was apparently what Quatre seemed to be doing. Minako understood that, having spent most of her life being acquainted with government and royal figures. Yet she still could not find any reasons good enough to justify his present state.

Sighing, Minako turned to leave until she caught sight of something vibrant at the corner of her eye. What she found triggered something in her heart and instinctively she knew what it was and immediately understood why he savored it, prompting a faint smile to grace her features. Her heart softened at the realization as something inside her began to stir.

There, at the corner of his desk, nestled in a crystal vase, was the rose which she had given him in Venus.

Quatre woke up to the sound of birds chirping. Through his half-lidded gaze, he could see the amount of unfinished work scattered across his desk and he detected the familiar surrounding of his study. His body weighted like lead, his bones ached from the long hours he had spent last night and he felt very reluctant to rise. Yet not knowing why, he felt warmth enveloping him in a comforting manner, and there was a faint scent of peaches lingering around him that was so drugging, his body was simply content with this position and despite knowing his tardiness would eventually cost him, he made no attempt to move.

Pondering over this sensation for awhile, he finally lifted his eyelids just enough to acknowledge that he was wrapped in an orange blanket. As far as he remembered, he had never purchased blanket of this sort and he tried to drag himself up to study the material. However he was so intoxicated by the fragrance and still groggy from his sleep, he could not inspect it properly and only managed to confirm that it wasn't his. Yet he couldn't be bothered to figure out from who. Almost immediately, he drifted off into a deep slumber, wrapped with the lingering warmth of her scent.

"So it's not uncommon? He's always like this?" Minako inquired in disbelief as she spread some butter on her toast.

Lyon's normally stiff figure was shifting uncomfortably as she drilled him about Quatre's predicament. "Well, it certainly did not come as a surprise to us here. He has always been very busy and none of us wish to disturb him …"

"That's ridiculous," Minako remarked in disgust, taking a careful bite out of her toast. "He may be a former Gundam pilot but he doesn't seem to be able to handle his job as well as being a pilot. His health could be terribly affected by this. Aren't you at all concern about your own employer?"  
"Do not accuse us of being unconcerned when you do not know any better," Lyon pressed firmly, his features twisted in an angry scowl at her comment. "I've known the Master since he was small and nothing means more to me than his good health. Where my duty is concerned, I've taken every measure, within my powers, to ensure that he is well treated and taken care of."

Minako sighed as she lowered her toast to the plate. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to offend you. But as you can clearly see, I'm worry about him, too."

"As you should be," Lyon said softly, his features slowly softening, much to Minako's relief. "We are well aware of his condition. Not just the household but even his close friends had tried to advice him. Yet the Master was very persistent about his work, so there is very little we can do to convince him otherwise."

"Perhaps I can drop by his work and invite him for a picnic lunch or …."

"Miss Calvert, I'm afraid that is not possible," Lyon intruded, shaking his head. "He does not appreciate this sort of surprises, even if he did plan to have any lunch on that particular day."

Minako smirked. "But he's not one to show his disapproval towards an invitation, is he?"

"Yes but he is one to decline an unwanted invitation and will relentlessly stand by his decision." Lyon hesitated as Minako looked thoughtful, then he added with caution, "Miss Calvert, in my honest opinion, it is better that you leave him as he is."

Minako's heart jumped at such suggestion but she maintained a calm and dignified expression. "Why do you say so?" she inquired quietly, although she suspected the answer.

Much to her surprise, Lyon's voice was more sympathetic than scorn, "You know why, Miss Calvert. I may not fully comprehend the issues between you and Master Winner but it is no secret that both of you are not entirely keen with one another. It did make some of us wonder why you are very persistent of this marriage, though I am not about to question your motive. But I am going to plea for your favor, leave him be as he is already facing enough difficulties balancing his schedules. A marriage is clearly unnecessary and it will only be an added burden for him, if not already."

"You sound quite certain he will be unhappy with this marriage," Minako pointed out, forgetting momentarily of her position.

"He is already unhappy with the sudden reconciliation with a fiancée he did not know exist," Lyon answered impassively but with shocking conviction that Minako was slightly taken aback. "And I have no doubt it will intensify if the marriage takes place. Please do not misunderstand, Miss Calvert, we appreciate your concern for our Master but I am afraid whatever measures you have taken to assist him, will not be at all successful and even worst if it backfires." There was a tensed silence as Minako's gaze lowered to her plate of half eaten breakfast. She hesitantly reached out for the cup of coffee in an attempt to conceal the growing confusion that might had aroused. Thinking she had finally shared his revelation, Lyon proceeded in a softer tone, "I can tell you do not want this anymore than he does. Please do not sacrifice both of your happiness for a marriage that only seem so convenience at this time. It may not be so in the future. At least speak to him about it until both of you reach an agreement. That is the only thing that can prove to have the most success in easing his troubles. And it is the only thing you alone can accomplish."

Minako stared thoughtfully at the cup in her hand. "The only agreement he seek is a permanent release from the contract which I myself am obligated to follow and have no intention of breaking it. A contract is still a contract and as you implied earlier, I have no intention of breaking it." She paused when it occurred to her she was as ignorant of the actual contents of the marital contract as Lyon was but she proceeded anyway, "And as you mention before and I do not mean to sound rude, it is not your place to intervene."

"Perhaps. However at this moment, my only concern is his well being. Your interference might cause him even more distress."

"That maybe so," Minako suddenly agreed in a lighthearted tone, which triggered Lyon's suspicion. "I will only be in his way, perhaps even to the extent of affecting his business affairs. If his friends had failed to advice him, I certainly have no such influence to convince him otherwise. After all, I am his unwanted fiancée who's partly responsible for his misery. I can be another reason why his health deteriorates and his business affair crumbles." Minako closed her eyes momentarily as precious memories of their time spent together in Venus and a brief recollection of the rose in his study flashed in her mind. When she finally opened her eyes, she shifted her gaze to Lyon and a reassuring smile graced her features, taking the butler by surprise. "Or I can be everything he need to remind him that life isn't base solely on careers."

Her conviction penetrated the butler's expression as his dignified features cracked and gave way into amazement. Minako didn't seem to notice this as she rose to her feet and gathered the plates and cup. He watched her in speculative silence as she made her way across the room and disappeared into the kitchen. Slowly, a vague smile of approval formed on his lips.

"Perhaps you can be …"

After three long, agonizing hours, Quatre finally approved the detailed proposal and signed his agreement. Thrilled that he had finally made a decision, he leaned back to stretch himself and sighed contently as he allowed a moment to revel in the soothing atmosphere of a beautiful Sunday afternoon. His eyes shifted to the floor-to-ceiling window behind him, exposing almost the entire view of his well-trimmed backyard which sprouted intricate pattern decorated with blossomed flowers of radiant colors. The scenery always provided some form of serenity and being a nature lover, he always made certain his garden was given an appropriate trimming every now and then and always appeared at its best. Although he wasn't around much to really appreciate the changes made or to supervise those particular changes, Lyon had took over the role for the elder man knew how much Quatre adored nature.

The household was quiet this morning, not an unusual occurrence. He could sense the servants' movement as they walked down the hallway outside. He wondered briefly where his fiancée had went to. He did not see her at breakfast nor was he informed of her whereabouts as the other servants were not even aware the young lady was missing. Perhaps scuttling around at the dark corners of the mansion, Lyon had suggested, for the young mistress seemed to develop an interest in exploring inner areas of this house. Quatre decided to grasp that notion, refusing to even consider other worrying possibilities. Frankly because, he didn't have the time to be fretting about his missing fiancée.

A soft knock on the door broke his reverie. Once Quatre permitted entry, Lyon entered stiffly and informed him the arrival of his head committees. A second later, three men in their mid-forties entered the room.

"I thank you all for coming at such a short notice," Quatre said with heavy courtesy, forcing a weary smile at the grim gentlemen seated across from him. "I am dreadfully sorry to call for a meeting on a lovely Sunday afternoon but I'm afraid there's been an incident that I must draw your immediate attention. Any later action would affect our progress with the ongoing project on Colony X13339."

As the discussion commenced, Quatre became engrossed with the task in hand and took on a solemn expression, one that he usually wore when he was dealing with business matters. He spoke with unusual calm and handled the issues with careful analysis, gaining immediate respect and strengthening the other men's confidence of his credibility. Despite Quatre's relaxed demeanor, the men noted the severity of the issue taking its toll on their president and the proof was from the concern lines etched on his features. They were not as alarmed though, having faced this sort of situation more than once and the atmosphere was always sizzling with tension, mostly asserted by the blonde man himself who had the tendency to make startling decisions which always produced astounding results.

A faint bubble of mirth drifted into the room, a welcoming change of air that was vaguely appreciated by the occupants. The men looked up from their documents, each wearing a distracted expression on their face as they glanced at each other. As though sensing their attention, the laughter died down almost immediately and dissolved into silence. When the men were about to resume back to their discussion, a sharp cry suddenly penetrated the silence, followed by collectives shrieks, giggles and laughter which were later punctuated with a loud 'splat'. Then, the round of giggles started again, this time even more louder as they yelled incoherently with joy and sheer excitement. Several more rounds of 'splat' were heard after that and it became increasingly difficult to ignore.

Disorientated and confused, Quatre turned to the window behind him and just when he was about to peer down, a flurry movement in blue hurled right in his direction. He cried out in surprise when it hit the window, the impact producing a flat 'bang' and sending splotches of liquid onto the glass. Quatre stared half in terror, half in bewilderment at the trailing water while the remnants of the objects stuck to the glass, which he later comprehended was a balloon.

"Mr. Winner!" one of the men exclaimed, raising to his feet in alarm when the 'attack' took place. "What was that? What's going on?"

Quatre gaped at the view below and he was taken aback to discover not only was his fiancée laughing and sporting several water-filled balloons in her arms but so were several of his servants and what surprised him the most for his unexpected visit, was Duo. All of them were either half soaked or completely drenched, laughing and running about while throwing their ammunition at one another. The shredded pieces of balloons littered around his garden and the entire lawn was suspiciously glinting brightly in the sun.

"What the …" another man trailed in indignation as he stepped over to the window. He squinted his eyes to get a clearer look. "Are those your servants? And …isn't that Calvert's daughter?"

"Seems to be quite a commotion down there …" another pointed out unnecessarily.

After he recovered from the shock, Quatre cleared his throat and muttered under his breath, "Excuse me, gentlemen." With that, he strode to the door.

"Cheap shot!" Duo exclaimed, shooting Minako an indignant look once he recovered from the aftermath of having a balloon thrown directly at his chest.

Minako giggled and dodged another hit while a distress Lyon looked on behind her, making sure to stay at a safe distance from the parties of the ensuing war. The war which she had instigated was getting even more merrier than she anticipated, thanks to Duo who had instantly pursued the opportunity to assist her. She had a hard time trying to convince the servants to join in the fun so instead of wasting her time trying to persuade them, she had launched into an all out war and started throwing water balloons at anyone wandering about in the garden to complete some chores. Duo's company only served to ensure that everyone had their share of fun, his laughter ringing in the air and his friendly nature making everyone at ease and relaxed enough to indulge in a harmless game without the fear of being reprimanded by their employer. It was indeed, quite a sight for there was never a merrier moment than this.

"Miss Calvert, don't you think this is a little too much?" Lyon asked, peering warily at the mess and frowning in disapproval at the servants who, after years of serving under the Winner family in a stiff, formal environment, had remarkably forgotten the rules of etiquette and currently laughing hysterically as another staff started throwing balloons at them.

"Nonsense," Minako replied, giving him a dismissive wave. "If anything, I think we need an even bigger attraction, like fire crackers or …."

"Miss Calvert, I understand what you are trying to do here …well, at least I think I do but is it necessary to involve the rest of the household?" Lyon asked exasperatedly, mentally assessing the amount of damages done to the garden.

"Oh, Lyon, loosen up," Duo suddenly exclaimed, giving the elder man a slap on his back. Lyon staggered forward before quickly regained his composure and gave Duo a dignified scowl. "It's not like we've committed a horrendous crime. We've done many stuff more perilous than this and some of them even involved the police."

"Yes, I'm very aware of those …unfortunate incidents," Lyon murmured, narrowing his eyes at Duo.

Duo chuckled. "Of course, I know I can trust you to contact them. You always got the numbers right. Those were the good times." His tone grew a little forlorn and his expression dimmed in nostalgic at the memories. "You know, the guys and I used to pull this kind of prank all the time. Well, actually, I was the one who usually pull it on them but we always had fun, albeit the occasional death threats and all. It's been less than two years back but it seem like such a long time ago. Somehow in that period, Quatre had changed quite a lot. Now he can't even take a joke. What's worst, he can't even seem to understand one. Sometimes I think even Trowa can make a far entertaining company than him."

Minako hesitated. "It can't be that bad."

"No, of course not," Duo quickly agreed, noting her concern. "But it's no secret that Quatre's been pushing himself harder than necessary to run his father's business. That kid is in some serious need of fun. I just hope this is a good enough distraction."

"Well, it seems like you've succeeded," Lyon's said distractedly as he gazed behind Duo. "Here he comes now."

Both Minako and Duo turned to find the blonde man trotting towards them, an inscrutable expression on his face but when he came closer, he appeared more preoccupied than upset.

"What is going on here?" Quatre asked, keeping his voice concealed from any hint of annoyance as his gaze swept across the garden. Then, his eyes rested at Duo. "Duo, I certainly didn't think you would be involved in this."

Duo rolled his eyes and said in exasperation, a half smile lifting the corner of his lips, "And hello to you, too, old friend. Just dropping by to check on you. It's always nice to be here."

Quatre flustered a little. "Gomen (Sorry)," he said apologetically. "It's just that …I'm currently having a meeting and you people are making so much noises we had to …"

Duo waved off Quatre's protest and slung an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Listen, Kat, I know the guys and I've been bugging you all week to take it easy and stuff. And you know we're doing that because, well, you might find this hard to believe but somewhere deep in our cold little hearts, we care for you. We understand how much your business means to you and we're cool with it, you know. But having a …a meeting on a beautiful Sunday afternoon totally cuts the cake and I'm afraid I have to interfere. Kat, what you really need is a …"

"Hey, Quatre!!"

Something smacked his back and he almost stumbled in the process. At first he thought it was a gunshot and he actually waited for the sharp pain to shoot through him. He was so stunned that it took him awhile to acknowledge the damp splotches on his back was actually water, not blood. He whirled around in dismay, after several attempts to calm his pounding heart and found Minako standing several feet away from him. Her melodic laughter floated in the air. Quatre was momentarily caught off guard by her display of infectious merriment. His heart softened involuntarily at this view. At this point, it seemed like another personality of hers began to surface, one that he was familiar with and he felt an immediate attraction to her.

All of a sudden, her movement became increasingly slow to him as he subconsciously memorized each fiber of her delicate features in this state. His breath was caught in his throat when she flicked her hair and flashed him a triumphant smile. Her long blonde hair was damp and glinting brightly under the sun as several tendrils clung to her back. Her skin was also damp and somehow seemed even softer and more delicate to touch. Her top clung to her body, outlining her curve that fit perfectly to a goddess and her denim shorts which was inappropriate for a sophisticated, high-class heiress to don, seemed to complement her figure and was tantalizing to the eye as it displayed her long, slender legs.

Snapping his thoughts and mentally shaking his head, Quatre managed to utter between his amazement and confusion, "C-Caroline, this is not the time to …"

"Aw, Quatre, you're so uptight!" Minako exclaimed, tinkling with laughter. "Loosen up a little."

"I am not uptight!" Quatre retorted indignantly. "All I'm saying is you're disrupting my meeting upstairs and I appreciate it if you tone it down a little."

Minako giggled, picking up one of the balloons and began tossing it in one hand. Her gesture was suspiciously smooth and casual. At that point, his body went stilled.

"Well, I'm sorry but your meeting will just have to wait until we run out of balloons."

She demonstrated her determination by assuming a stance that seemed a little too threatening than Quatre had preferred. She feigned a throw at him and when Quatre reacted by flinching, she grinned and her eyes narrowed slyly.

Quatre scowled, his eyes still trained at the balloon. "You wouldn't …" he whispered, half in horror.

Minako raised an eyebrow in amusement, then a slow, devilish smile crept to her lips and Quatre felt his heart quicken its pace. Strangely, not out of anxiety or dread …

"I would …" Her voice seemed to tease him and he was distracted by the glint in her eyes when she finally hurled the balloon at him. However, he wasn't distracted enough to not prepared for the attack. Equipped with speed and dexterity he acquired from his previous involvement in the war, he easily avoided the balloon which landed behind him and burst at the impact. Minako gasped and quickly made a break for it.

Quatre, all of a sudden felt an impulse to run after her and before he even realized it, he was already on the trail for his fiancée. At first he simply wanted to persuade her to end her childish game yet the atmosphere was so merrily infectious, he found himself a minute later armed with water balloons which he discovered scattering at the corner and aiming it at either Duo or his fiancée. Less than fifteen minutes later, his laughter echoed along with the others, ringing through the garden and drifting slowly into the study.

"Will you look at that …." One of the men uttered in amusement from the study as they watched the scene below. "Seeing him acting foolishly like this …makes it hard to believe that people actually cower behind him, doesn't it?"

"Amazing," his partner murmured thoughtfully. "And it's all because of Calvert's daughter. Well, I shouldn't be surprise. I always knew he would mellow down to the right woman someday."

"Thrusting a young lady into his life unexpectedly like this can be a good change for him," another man implied. "I find it rather interesting that four of his closest friends and sisters who he knew personally can hardly affect him to switch his disposition. This girl, to whom he's unwillingly betrothed, is a stranger and yet in less than ten minutes, she has managed to drag him off from work and indulge him in a childish activity which have never, if I recall correctly, appealed to him before."

The second laughed. "Well, if that's the case, then I'm convinced this lovely lady is certainly a keeper."

"I don't think it's really because of that woman," the first man disagreed lightheartedly. "The notion lies in who he really is. And all of us seem to have forgotten about that."

"What do you mean?"

The man paused as Quatre's laughter drifted into the room, instantly breaking the tension in the air. At that point, all three men were struck by the distinguished change in Quatre's demeanor.

A wry smile lifted the corner of the man's lips. "He's still a young boy."

About an hour later, the betrothed couple laid on the grass, trying to catch their breath. Their clothes were soaked, their hairs matted to their face and their damp skin glinting under the sun. Minako didn't plan for the game to get this far but she was so caught up with the fun, she had forgotten the actual purpose of conjuring such an event, though the result had been as what she anticipated. Shifting her gaze to where Quatre laid, she was satisfied to see him at ease. His cheeks were flushed and a faint smile graced his face, lighting up his entire features and it had the impact of enhancing his boyish charm. He looked so adorable Minako couldn't help admiring him, unconsciously memorizing his features and resisting the urge to brush the damp strand of hair from his face.

As his breathing finally steadied, Quatre had his attention fixed at the clear, blue sky. Somehow, he couldn't look away, struck by such soothing element that provided him the serenity he sought. Suddenly, the problems, the burdens he acquired over the previous years were banished from his mind and for that one moment, he was at peace, as though he was as carefree as he used to be when he was a child.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Quatre turned slightly sideway to find Minako next to him, gazing at the clear sky in open admiration. "Hai (Yes)," he murmured in uncertainty, momentarily spellbound by her beauty before he forced his gaze back to the sky. All of a sudden, he felt very conscious with her presence so close to him. There was an indescribable feeling descended upon him as this intimate moment they seemed to share reminded him of their time in Venus. The air lingering between them was familiar, pleasant and somewhat harmonious, as though the hostility and resentment that trailed their presences had dissipated completely.

There was that familiar warmth again, he noted in content as he closed his eyes to savor the sensation. The same comforting warmth which only her presence could radiate, the same warmth that he yearned to hold in his arms ever since he returned from Venus. And strangely enough, this solace came from the one person responsible for the added burden of his misery.

"Perhaps if you come out more often, you'll be able to enjoy a much beautiful scenery."

Quatre's eyes snapped open and he glanced at her in confusion. "Huh?"

Minako peered at him with a half smile. "The sky," she pointed out flatly. "You might find this hard to believe but there is a more beautiful view than this. If you have the time, I can show you where it is and I'm pretty sure you'll like it." Turning away, she added proudly, "It's amazing what you can find if you just look hard enough. When the car broke down last week, I'm sure Lyon have informed you about that, I stumbled upon this great place just a little bit outside the city. It's really beautiful, great if you're up for a night out and feel like you need to take a break from your work and all. If you want, I can show you where it is and …"

"That's alright," Quatre interrupted as he dragged himself to a sitting position. He didn't know why exactly he rejected her but there was something inside of him that refused to get too attached with her. Noticing the hurt look on her face, he quickly added, "I appreciate it but I'm afraid I won't have the time to spare."

The sparkles in her eyes dimmed at this comment. Instead of an angry remark which he expected, her expression softened to reveal her understanding and somewhat mixed with hints of sympathy for his disposition. Then, she lowered her gaze to the grass, staring at it blankly as she compiled her thoughts.

Thinking he had offended her terribly, he tried to conjure some jokes or witty remark to break the tension but nothing came to his mind and what alarmed him the most was his complete inability to think of anything funny or even remember the last time he heard a joke. "Caroline, please try to understand," he blurted out, his mind frantically searching for the appropriate words. "I have my hands quite tied up lately and it's not just about the empire. Our position doesn't exactly comply us to …"

"Tell me, Quatre," she spoke up all of a sudden, as though he had never spoken before. "What color is that?" She pointed to a row of neatly trimmed bushes in the distance. Quatre squinted his eyes to get a clearer view. He could make out tiny sprouts of something fluffy in pastel among the bushes but they were too far for him to confirm. "What color is it?" she repeated, staring at him expectantly.

"I can't make out the colors," Quatre reluctantly admitted, silently wondering why was it any importance or even relevance to their present topic. "I can't even tell what kind of flowers they are. White? Pink? Is it pink?"

"Perhaps I should ask you something simpler," Minako exclaimed with an air of arrogance he came to recognize fairly well. She motioned her head to the sky. "Now tell me, what do you see?"

Offended yet equally curios at this game, he answered her without even glancing at the sky. "The sky. It's cloudless."

"And?"

"It's blue."

"And?"

Quatre frowned. "Without going into details the scientific explanation as to how it became as such, it is cloudless and a beautiful shade of blue."

Minako had a thoughtful expression on her face. "It is beautiful," she agreed, a sad smile touched her lips. "And it's no wonder you're drawn to it, Quatre. At first I find it interesting that a complex fellow like yourself would be impressed with a simple blank scenery." She turned away from his probing gaze to peer at the sky. "Then, I realize why. Even when you arrange your answer, it only serve to emphasize your thoughts, what you really think about your life." She chuckled bitterly. "Cloudless? Empty is more like it. Isn't that right, Quatre?" He didn't answer her. Instead, his features were frozen, rigidly controlled so any reaction was kept at a bare minimum while his mind raced frantically at the revelation. "No matter how far you exceed people's expectation or no matter how much you accomplished in these past years, you don't feel it's enough. No matter how skillful or highly knowledgeable you are, it never satisfy you. That's why you keep pushing yourself to stretch your limits."

"Because it is highly expected," he retorted indignantly. "It is highly expected when you're in the position as the heir of an empire. It's my responsibility, I have people relying on me and I cannot let them down."

Something in his words triggered her own conscience and for that fleeting second, the realization of her royal duties hit her. "Spoken like a puppet," Minako muttered sardonically, turning away to shake her head. "I never thought the war could have done so much damage on a person."

"You'd be surprise, Caroline," Quatre replied calmly, concealing the hurt behind his cool façade. "Compare with most, I am considered fortunate under these circumstances. And that's all the more reason to remain where I am today. I was raised in an environment where conflicting ideals and battles were common, situations which I can't control. I was always in a helpless position and it came to some point, that I was convinced of my own weaknesses. By monitoring the empire …."

"By monitoring the empire, you obtain at least some degree of control," Minako hastily finished for him. "At least I understand where that nature of yours derived from. But it's the responsibility that burdens you. Don't you ever feel the need to let go of it all, at least just for a day? People will always expect more than what you can give and you keep on giving until eventually one day, you'll burn out."

The corner of his lips lifted in the right combination of understanding and amusement as his eyes fastened her with empathy. In a fleeting second, Minako had a terrifying feeling that he could see right through her disguise. But despite it all, she needed his answer, perhaps to justify many of her selfish actions and also, to understand him better.

"My only concern is giving what I can. Of course I'll work hard to reach their expectations but I know my limits. I know what I am, what I'm capable and incapable of doing. But the fact remains, there are people who rely on you and you have to acknowledge that at some point. The only difference that distinguish one person from another is how they acknowledge it and the consequences derive from it."

Somewhere in his speech, he had discreetly reversed their position, stripping away her defenses and exposing her true nature. Minako felt the knot in her stomach tightened as she thought about her state and quickly dismissed those unpleasant sensation. "But we're still kids," she said stubbornly, unconsciously giving him hints that her sudden outburst had stemmed from personal experience. "It's bad enough that our childhood is spent learning how to shoulder burden of a whole planet …I mean, the burden acquired from the war. But to be deprived completely from your prerogatives in favour of those responsibilities, that's really too much! We're still kids. People should acknowledge that."

"They do, I'm sure," Quatre replied with a chuckle. "That's why they keep telling me to take it easy and plan many devious schemes to trick me into it, like launching an all-out water balloon war in the middle of my lawn." Minako suddenly blushed at that statement. "I have to admit, I had fun. But I'm also inclined to remind myself that there are more things in life than simply having fun. Like responsibilities to the people you care about."

Minako frowned. "So you work your heart out for the sake of others?"

Quatre thought about her question, then he shrugged. "If you insist on putting it that way, then yes, I suppose so."

Minako nodded in understanding, staring thoughtfully as she tried to conceive what she understood so far. "So, if helping others is what you're so passionate about, then why do you still feel empty?"

His body tensed as her words struck him. He turned to her in uncertainty and bewilderment. She didn't seem to be mocking or sneering at him, as he expected. She seemed merely curios and …puzzled. The fact that she appeared empathic towards his situation was ….strange, for lacked of better word and at that point, he couldn't quite react. He was rendered speechless and too astonished to reply.

"Master Winner."

Almost jumping in surprise, the couple whirled behind them to see Lyon standing in his usual stiff and excessive courteous manner. "Forgive me for interrupting but I am inclined to remind you of your current meeting with the board members. They are getting a little restless and request your immediate return, if that is possible."

Mentally kicking himself for forgetting such an important affair, he instructed Lyon to inform them he would be returning shortly after he changed into something more presentable and dry. Then regarding Minako with a weak smile, he said, "Please excuse me."

AN : Thank you for those of you who have reviewed the previous chapters. I hope this chapter isn't going too slow in the romance department but I promise, their relationship will pick up somewhere in the upcoming chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this one


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